Bella's Vampire Diary: I Hate Imprinting!
by sndbrg23
Summary: Ness celebrates her third birthday and acting 12 with her growth rate. Ness desperately wants to visit Jacob at college in his freshman year, but Bella and Edward denied the idea. Around 14, when Ness does visit, she realizes imprinting is not as easy as she thinks and throws herself, Bella, Jacob, and Edward into life changing situations.
1. Happy Third Birthday, UGH

September 18, 2012

We just celebrated Ness's third birthday. It's not like any other three year old party, because she appears, acts, and talks like she is twelve. We are even seeing the attitude and the flippant remarks that most preteens go through.

To go along with the attitude, Ness's body is changing more rapidly than a typical ten or eleven year old. Renesmee freaked out when she got her period and thought her vampire body was eating inside her. Again, she was ten-ish, and all rationalization goes on a vacation for several years.

Charlie and Sue invited Ness to their house when it was "that time", so she didn't feel awkward with eight vampires. It was a good deal, because Charlie wanted to spend time with his granddaughter. Ever since Charlie figured the secret out, he has been more giving and compassionate. That little girl melted the man's heart.

My preteen also nags, complains, and whines all the time, and it is always about Jacob. Jacob has taken some of the Cullen scholarship money, and he goes to Washington State. He's still not sure of what he'll major in, but he'll figure it out. He already knows that Seth will follow him next year. Here's the problem: Ness cannot act like Jake's girlfriend on a college campus in front of normal….humans. Imprinting is not a common practice, and people would not accept it. In fact, Jake would be considered a pedophile in public.

Edward and I have told her many reasons why she cannot visit him. One, he's a freshman, and he's still coping with the new surroundings. Two, Jake wants to get good grades, and he doesn't need distractions. Three, she is too young to be on a college campus. It's weird—as many times, we wanted to be older, and then when you're older-you want to be young again. It is one of the most brutal ironies of human life.

For Jacob, it has been very difficult for him. This connection between he and Ness is comparable to two strong magnets, but Jacob knew Ness had to do some growing up before he would be with her always. A twelve year old sees love as holding hands, pecks on cheek, and talking hours on the phone with another twelve year old. The relationships last normally two weeks, and then it starts over again. For Jacob, he is beyond that and is seeking true companionship.

We have told Jacob to be social and if he wants to have dinner with a woman, it would be okay. I doubt that he would, but Jake cannot put his personal life on hold, while waiting for his imprint to grow up.

In order to make things easier, both had a cell phone. He has already told her, when he leaves, he will call at least once a day. She was thrilled, but I know something about guys my daughter does not—life gets in the way, and phone calls don't happen. I'm preparing for the worse. God Help Me.


	2. Detachment Issues

February 20, 2013

I used to worry about time—getting older and wishing the clock would stop. In the past four months, I feel time has stopped completely, because the drama seems to never end. With a vampire-hybrid, it gets magnified by a thousand percent.

As predicted, Jacob integrated himself into the college community and became enthralled with the experience, which is expected and normal, but Ness was having difficulties. "Difficulties" is an understatement.

The rest of September and middle of October Jacob would talk to Ness twice a day—once in the middle of the day and at bedtime. As we approached Halloween, Jacob called at bedtime. In November, it was a couple of times a week. Renesmee was pacified around Thanksgiving; she was able to spend time with him as a family; however, on Black Friday, Aunt Alice and Rose dragged Ness shopping, and Ness was exhausted. Whether this was a vision of Alice's or just their plain instincts, they knew they had to keep Renesmee's attention.

Jacob explained to her December was going to be difficult, because he had projects to finish and finals to study for. He wasn't going to have a lot of spare time. This did not go well.

For three weeks, Renesmee threw horrible tantrums. Her anger and frustration destroyed pieces of furniture, some of the antiques, and several bedroom doors. It would be this violent cycle of crying, getting angry, destroying something, and falling into a depression, which started the cycle again. When I was this age, I might have had maybe three tantrums, but she was having two tantrums a day.

Edward and I were at our wits' end, and Carlisle thought a behavioral analysis could show us what to do. Unfortunately, it showed Renesmee was going through puberty ten times its normal speed. We ended up going to Dad.

Since Charlie has known the secret, we've been closer, and we are able to share experiences together, but now, he also was involved in some of the more negative issues we dealt with. Charlie is no Dr. Phil; he wasn't the expert in parenting—what parent is? He was now a fresh perspective.

Two weeks before Christmas, we left Renesmee with the family as Edward and I drove to Dad's and Sue's house. They were living together as they planned their wedding in May. She was an asset to our problem solving; Sue also raised two children, Seth and Leah, and probably dealt with something like this in the past.

Edward and I were on the edge of the sofa rigid. Neither of us wanted to relax and recline; we actually were on the edge of our sanity. Sue took one of the recliners, while Dad eased himself in his chair.

Charlie sipped his coffee, "So, kids, having problems with Ness?"

"She's not dealing with Jacob's choice to go to college," Edward's tone was mild, but he tried to keep his voice steady. This is a rare for Edward to be angry about something that was totally un-vampire.

Sue leaned forward. "Honey, what is she doing?"

I was collecting my thoughts, so they all didn't spill out at once. "Ness… she is throwing violent tantrums…"

"Bells, can you give us an example?"

"She is destroying bedroom doors—practically pulling the doors off their hinges." Charlie couldn't stop his jaw from dropping. "If she was just human, we could be saying she was being a spoiled brat and punish her, but the imprinting is making her…and us frustrated, and she cannot find a way to focus her anger and frustration."

Sue took a deep breath as if she already knew what was happening. "Guys, this is a problem the Quileute people deal with all the time. No one in the outside world, besides you, understands how imprinted can affect the stability of the family and the tribe. Jake and Quil imprinted on children, who they have to wait for them to grow up, before the true connection will take affect.

"Imprinting is really like two strong magnets that it supposed to stay together. It takes a lot of strength to pull the magnets or the imprints apart. Before when we were isolated from society years ago, it didn't cause problems, because the imprinted people were in proximity of each other throughout the aging process, but it causes more problems than solutions today. Leah…" Sue choked on her words. Leah and Sam were in love and had planned their life together, but Sam imprinted on Emily, which ended Leah's and Sam's relationship. It changed from lovers to siblings. This was a shock to Leah's system, and she has had a difficult time accepting the fact Sam wasn't meant for her. She, like Jacob, separated herself from the situation by attending Northwestern in Illinois, and well, things have been better, and that's a story for another entry.

"Harry and I tried to give her all the support she needed, but she like Ness could not adapt. She too would throw tantrums—maybe not as violent as Ness's, but she was always angry and bitter. This was one of the reasons she hated you, because she heard all of Jacob's whining and made her think constantly about losing Sam. Jake was throwing his own fit when he left after the two of you were engaged. The wolf gene is helpful in battle or protection, but the human side can be miserable."

Edward relaxed a little—not something Sue or Charlie could have seen, but I could tell. He was glad this wasn't an isolated case. Charlie piggy-backed on Sue's experience, "This may be difficult, but these tantrums shouldn't be tolerated. She needs to know that her behavior is not acceptable, and natural consequences would be enforced." Ah, the cop side of Charlie came out. I wondered how long it was going to take. Maybe this is why Edward relaxed—he read Charlie's mind and realized a solution was in sight.


	3. Limits

"No matter what, you cannot let Renesmee get away with this—even if it is imprinting or something else. You are her parents, and you have to give her limits. I know you want and can give her anything she wants, but you're doing more harm than good. If this continues, the tantrums will get more violent, and most importantly, in front of humans. This-Italian—mafia would be glad to kill her and not think twice." That was Dad's code for the Volturi. We've created codes to avoid any issues.

"Charlie's right. For her, normalcy is what she needs. The human side needs that to adapt from the chaos of the supernatural. It keeps the pack stable. That's why it's important why the Alpha is powerful; he has to the ability to ground the other members. He has to be the father of them, because many of their parents do not know about the wolf gene. When our kids begin the transformation, they are always angry, because they can turn into the Hulk without thinking twice and believe they're monsters. The Alpha teaches how to control that aggression and bond with his or her pack members. They need to know they are special protectors and not monsters.

"Leah and Seth became part of the pack when you and Bella were getting serious, and you left her." Edward always regretted that decision, but he thought it was the best for me. It almost killed us both, literally. "Jacob's thoughts were constant roller coasters, because the pack heard EVERYTHING. The boys enjoyed teasing him, but Leah, it was like a rusty knife—constantly stabbing her in the heart." Leah was finally free when she left Sam's pack and joined Jacob's path. Even though she could hear Jacob's thoughts, it was not about love, but it was strategy and talked for over an hour brainstorming ideas that would teach, provide limits, and not seem punitive. Edward and I knew it was going to be one of the toughest talks we've had with Ness.

As we arrived to the main house, Alice greeted us. "Hey. Ness is the conservatory." As if she had stolen words from our mouths, "Ness will understand." Ah, the joy of having a clairvoyant in the family!

Renesmee was practicing the song her Dad had written for her. She had made waves of improvement since Edward gave it to her last night. Edward sat on the stool with her. "Hey."

"Hi, Dad."

"Working on the instrumental?"

"The end is tricking me up. There are key changes and octave jumps."

Edward smiled. "I know. It's supposed to be challenging. Take a break and sit with us on the couch." She nodded and wiped the keys and the piano before she closed the piano.

Ness bounced on the leather chair, while Edward and I had the couch. She smiled. "What's up?"

Edward started easily. "Sweetheart, we know you're having problems dealing with Jacob's decision to go to college."

Her head tilted down. "I know. I can't help it sometimes."

I grabbed her hand. "You need to control yourself with any emotion. For the past three weeks, you have become homicidal to doors and anything in the house. This has to stop."

She didn't say anything. Right now, I was bad cop. "Honey," Edward knelt at her feet, "this is one experience that no one in this family has ever dealt with. We talked to Grandpa and Sue about your imprinting and your anger issues."

Renesmee's voice cracked and whispered, "Grandpa knows?" This horrified her; she wanted her grandfather be proud of her.

Edward nodded. "Imprinting can be difficult, especially if you're not part of one, but it is no excuse for your behavior recently. Grandpa's right. We have tried to make your life perfect, and we've ignored or denied what was going on. It's your Mom's and my job to take care of you and direct you in the right directions, even if it may seem harsh or mean. When we get back at the house, your door has been removed."

"WHAT! Dad, why?"

"I like Benny at the hardware store, but not enough to buy him coffee everyday. You have destroyed ten doors in three weeks."

"But, Dad, I …can..fix…this."

I added to Edward's feelings. "If you could, you would have. It is our job as parents to give you the supports that will change the behavior."

I opened my hand and her i-phone was inside. "You're taking away my PHONE too!"

"This phone is the cause for some of your tantrums. You talk to Jacob, and everything's

fine, but if he doesn't call in a day or two, you blow up! _**This**_ is destroying you."

"But I talk to other people besides Jake—"

"Right now," Edward emphasized, "I really don't care about other people, right now. We're focused on YOU. WE love you, and we want you to grow up a healthy person, which means you may need a lesson or two in humility."

The calendar was just behind on the table and reached for it. "As your supports, we have a plan to help you. It's February 20th." I circled the date in red marker.

"Now, if you can go a month with only one tantrum, you will get your door back."

Nessie whined, "A month?"

This angered Edward. "Should we go three instead?"

In the same whiny voice, she grumbled, "No."

"Let's continue. If you can get two months without throwing a fit, we'll give you back your phone with limited privileges. "Edward flipped the pages to April. "This week is Jacob's spring break. He'll be here, and you'll be able to spend time with him as long as you have controlled your anger. If at any time, you get destructive at our home, the main house, or on a Quileute land, we will remove the door and take the phone again. We will start over." There was no argument from Ness. She can't even hope he'll forget—the vampire brain remembers everything.

"There is a bigger incentive, though." My turn at good cop, YES! "This is going to take a lot of effort and strength. If you can control your emotions after Jacob's spring break, we will visit Jacob at campus."

The sun shined. The whiny face was no more. "Really?!"

"I talked to Jake about it and he's all for it. He wants you to succeed too."

She was crestfallen for a moment. "What if I feel like I'm going to have a break? This will be hard."

"At first, it will be. To you, Jacob is an addiction like cigarettes, drugs, or alcohol. There will be times when you feel out of control, but that's when we help. Grandpa said any time you want to spend the night, weekend, or week with him and Sue, the door's open."

"Sam has offered his house as a cool off spot, too," I continued. "The Elders are family, too, and they may give you wise advice, because they have dealt with similar issues."

Edward stared into his daughter's eyes. "Take the first step, and we'll be right behind you." Renesmee lunged for her father and cried in his arms.


	4. Rockin' With Nessie

March 5, 2013

Just like any drug, there will be withdrawal. To add imprinting would be like taking an alcoholic to a bar, so we knew it would take time, and we would have to deal with slip-ups. Today, we were working on geometry at the main house; this is pretty normal for an advanced student to take geometry freshman year, but Nessie nor the situation was normal at all.

We have been behind, so we still in the middle of proofs, which I dreaded in high school. The topic was circles.

"Why do I have to prove a circle is a circle? Or a triangle? This is ridiculous!"

I came to her side. "Honey, it's not the idea of a circle or triangle, but it's a way of thinking. It's more like a life skill. With everything-"

She threw the book on the floor. "I don't care!" She was taking deep breaths and gritting her teeth. "I'm NEVER going to use this!"

I could disagree, because all the geometry I needed was playing pool with Phil, but this had nothing to do with math. She continued to rant and rave and finally I had enough, "RENESMEE, OUTSIDE!"

"What?!"

"OUTSIDE!" It was so loud that the windows shook. Ness stopped arguing and walked outside. The snow had been melting, and outside was a pencil drawing. "I want you to run to La Push and find a blue stone."

"But, Mom…"

"Now! Do not come back until you do!" She began to run and looked behind. "Pick it up, sweetheart!" Within seconds, she was gone.

An hour and a half later, Ness returned. I had a jar ready for her. "Here." Inside was a robin's egg colored stone. She plopped the rock in the jar.

"Now, what were angry about?"

"Ah..I don't know."

"See? You were having a fit for nothing! You were going to blow your chance to have your door back for mathematics! Really?" She looked down. "Whenever you get frustrated, you need a venue to release it. The run to La Push and finding a specific colored rock focused your concentration on something else than your anger. This is one way you can relieve that tension—find a different colored rock and fill the jar. Just let us know you're leaving, and we'll let you be."

"It's not going to work all the time…"

"No, but it will help you decide which fit is worth your anger or an excuse. Let's go for a walk." She and I started to through the brush and up to the meadow.

"Mom, how did know what to do?"

"Actually, Sue told me. Harry and Billy didn't have the wolf gene, and the both knew one or both of their children would. When Seth and Leah were young and angry, he would send them on these scavenger hunts—that would settle their aggressions. Unfortunately, with Sam and Jacob, it was too much for Leah. Turning into a wolf was a release; she could go wherever she wanted and do whatever she wanted. The moment she walked away from Sam's pack, a huge weight was lifted.

"Honey, you have to understand that everyone except for us and the Quileute are normal people, and they do not understand the supernatural world."

"But, Grandpa?"

"Grandpa was forced into this through Jacob's wolf self, and all the clues about the Cullens and me adding up. He always questioned, but he never thought in his wildest dreams about Jacob, let alone us. We need ways to control our thirsts, but our emotions also. What you're going through is normal; unfortunately, you're going through this four times faster. It's okay to be mad or upset, but we have to make sure it is done in a healthy way or it can get lethal. Do you remember the story about the vampire who created newborns a couple years ago?"

"Vic—to-ria?"

"Yes. She was so angry Uncle Jasper, Uncle Emmett, and your Dad killed her boyfriend that dozens of lives were lost—both mortal and immortal—to her quench her thirst for revenge. We can't live that way, or we would have to leave.."

"Leave?"

"Honey, the Volturi will not give us another break. If news came out about us, Aro would send Jane, Alex, and Demetri to kill us all. We may not be able to live together due to our numbers." Nessie didn't say anything; she looked guiltier than before. "This is going to take time, and we are going to help you in every way." I hugged her and kissed her on the cheek. "Let's go back to the house. Dad's making dinner. I think blood sausage…"

"Ewwww."

"I'm kidding. He's making fried chicken."

We walked toward the house. "Mom?"

"Yes?"

"You're kidding about the blood sausage, right?" Pause. "Right, Mom?"


	5. The Sweatshirt

May 12, 2013

After our deal with Nessie, it made her focus her energy on something else other than Jacob. She gets frustrated and with a wave, she was off. From March to Easter, she began to fill the jar with different colored stones and other little treasures. We had a special jar for the shells, odd looking shards of glass, and other items that interested her.

A shrieking voice echoed the house Easter morning, "YES! AH! My door! My door!" Within seconds, she was in our arms in the living room. "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you." She kissed her father several times and then me.

"You earned it, sweetheart," Edward kissed her on the cheek. "We knew you could do it!"

"Can I tell everybody at Easter dinner?!"

I nodded, "Yes, you can! Jacob and Grandpa will there! They will be thrilled!"

We arrived at Charlie's house, and she sprinted from the car to the door. Opening the screen door, she hollered, "I HAVE…MY DOOR!" Edward and I smiled. Renesmee has never been shy, so why stop it now?

The dramatic entrance made us look like the cleaning crew. Renesmee was in the middle of a bunch of Quileutes. Sue grabbed our baskets. "Hey, guys, guess you know the news?"

Edward rolled his eyes. "Most definitely. Loudly." Sue and I grinned at Edward's mock sarcastic tone.

Sue carried our things to the kitchen, and Charlie gave me a huge hug. "Hey, Bells."

"Hi, Dad."

Edward shook Charlie's hand. "Son, you don't have to be formal anymore." Charlie pulled Edward into a hug that frankly shocked the hell out of him. He was amazed that Charlie accepted him as a son and father of Renesmee. He thought he'd never hear this-ever.

Each of the Quileutes received a basket to open: i-tunes gift certificates, Subway cards, and a Visa check card. Seth received a Seahawks jersey and cap. Leah, well, she didn't come home for Easter. Renesmee created a special CD of her music and the La Push interesting objects jar; she wanted to show him that she was trying.

Jacob brought over a large basket covered in gold cellophane. "What is it, Jake?"

"Open and find out."

Inside was a stuffed plush husky dog with the gold and purple insignia. "Thank you, Jacob."

"There's more.."

Underneath the plastic green grass, she found a box. Inside was an ID bracelet in silver. "It's beautiful, Jake."

"One more thing is inside." Nessie reached the bottom of the basket and pulled out a grey Washington State University sweatshirt with the purple and gold crest. "Whenever you miss me, wear the sweatshirt or squeeze the husky, okay?" Renesmee smiled and hugged Jacob. She whispered something to him and pulled the sweatshirt over her head. It was a little big, but with Nessie's growth rate, she should fit into by her birthday.

Throughout the day, she bragged about her door and her presents from Jacob. They all knew what an accomplishment it was, and they celebrated with her. We left Charlie's around eight, and Renesmee was smiling from ear to ear. She didn't argue about bed. She, the ID bracelet, the dog, and the sweatshirt were under the covers before nine. That has been one of easiest times we had to put Ness to bed.

The sweatshirt, the dog, the ID bracelet, and Renesmee were grouped as one for the next couple of days. At first, it was cute, but after she was outside with the sweatshirt on, the sweatshirt had a life of its own. It practically could have stood by itself. When Charlie asked her over, I told her to take off the sweatshirt, take a shower, and put on clean clothes. She complied and left in Charlie's police car, and grabbed Nessie's sweatshirt and other clothes in washer.

Two hours later, it was getting dark. The clouds were grey, and it had been predicted a large thunderstorm was going to dump a lot of rain in the next four to six hours. I prayed that Dad would return her before the storm, so she couldn't get sick.

As Charlie dropped off Renesmee, I straightened the living room, so I would be the first to see her. "Hey, Mom."

"Hey, Nez, did you have fun with Grandpa?"

"Grandpa and I were fishing, but it began to sprinkle and went back to shore."

"Catch again?"

"Not really," Nessie walked down the hall and opened her new door. A thunder clap matched Ness's return to the living room. "Where's my sweatshirt?"

"In the washer."

"WHY!? It still had Jacob's scent on it."

"And you have worn it everyday since Easter. I don't care if your half vampire, but the human half needs to be germ free."

Renesmee's muscles clenched and she squeezed her eyes tightly shut. She was ever so slightly moving back and forth. She was ready to explode. "MOM, YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND! IT'S MINE! I'LL WASH WHENEVER I NEED TO!"

I kept calm. "It's pouring outside. You do need to go to La Push. Mud, Cold…"

She forced out, "NNNNoooo."

"I understand you are angry, go to your room. Write your journal for an hour, and then we can have this conversation—more maturely." Ultimately, the sweatshirt incident was nothing after I folded it and placed it on her bed and no argument.

The journal also has a calming effect with Renesmee. In January, during a snow storm, Renesmee went into Edward's music room, and carefully, pulled a leather bound book.

"What cha doing, my Nessie monster?"

She jumped three feet. "I shouldn't be in here." I heard her scream and rushed to the edge of the door, but Edward was there. I stood outside the hallway to listen in.

"No, this is your house, too." Ness gave Edward the book. "All of these," the towering stack of journals, "have documented my life as a vampire. From 1918 to yesterday, I have never forgotten. It helps me reflect on the past and show how much I've changed in almost a hundred years. " He grabbed one marked 1941. "December 7, 1941: _One of the most horrific event just happened in Hawaii. Japanese airplanes have bombed an area called Pearl Harbor. President Roosevelt and Congress are sure to declare war on Japan and Germany will follow._"

"It's like a history book, but more real."

"This would be considered a primary source; it's been written in the time of the event. These journals will help you understand me. Let's try a different journal." He grabbed a newer journal. Read this."

"_First the visionof Alice and the girl with their arms around each other—the trust and friendship was so obvious it shouted from the image. Bella's wide chocolate eyes were not bewildered in this vision, but still full of secrets—in this moment, they seem to be happy secrets. She did not flinch away from Alice's cold arm.*"_

"You were talking about Mom. I was a horrible struggle for me to keep my thirst and my feelings for her. It has been the hardest thing I have ever done in my existence."

*Meyer, Stephenie, _ Midnight Sun, _2008

"And Alice?"

"She wanted to be best friends as soon as she met your Mom and desperately wanted to talk to her. Even though I constantly told her no, she knew her visions and they were going to be best friends. Now," Edward pulled a leather bound homemade book. "I want you to try to do the same. Even if it is, you're angry or you're happy, the journal releases those thoughts and feelings, and it will relieve the anxiety."

"Dad, it's so beautiful. Really, Dad, you want me to have this?"

Edward grabbed one of his special pens and gave it to her. "Absolutely. When you finish a book, we'll get you another. You will begin to collect thoughts and emotions that you had years before. Why don't you do your first entry?" Renesmee kissed her Dad and skipped out of the room.

The journals and the trips of La Push helped Ness get her phone. Her Dad, of course, had to get her a new phone and the apps she wanted. She focused on the prize—the trip to Seattle.


	6. Arrival

May 24, 2013

After the meltdown, Renesmee straightened up; she knew how close it was to seeing Jacob at campus. Edward wanted Ness and me having "a girl trip," and made an excuse he had errands to run during our time in Seattle. We packed earlier today and were on the road by noon.

Traveling southeast toward Seattle, we made stops along the way alike to what Mom and I did on our road trips. With her, it was never the destination; it was the journey. There are times I think my Mom was born in the wrong era; she would be such a hippie chick. A lot of what we saw were wooden carvings and dream catchers, which didn't interest Ness much, but if anything, it was a break from the three and half hour drive.

The Union and Portage Bays and the Olympic Mountains create the Seattle atmosphere; however, the Estrella Mountains and the Ahwatukee Foothills create a fortress around Phoenix. In the past twenty years, I lived in opposite lands and opposite lives. This is just one thing about me that I am realizing every day of this existence.

We settled in our hotel, and Ness wanted to primp before seeing Jacob. She must have brought an entire salon with her—like her Aunt Alice. Electric cords and travel makeup kits covered the sink. As she chose her outfit and the appropriate hairstyle, I decided to call Jake to see where he was.

Jacob had just finished one of his finals, and he was heading back to the house. He had just finished a Logic final that would had made anyone crossed-eyed; Jake didn't even want to think of another syllogism. He thought a hot shower and clean clothes would make him feel a little. We planned to meet at Red Square in the center of the campus in an hour.

The hair dryer was on full blast when my phone rung. "Hello?!"

"Hey, Beautiful." I didn't even look at the phone before or I would have known already who was calling.

"Hi."

"What is the racket?"

"Nessie grooming…" He giggled at my sarcasm. "So what's up?"

"Just calling to see if you've kept your sanity."

"On the edge as a matter of fact."

"Why don't you open the door?"

"Why?"

"Just open the door."

I opened the door, and Edward was standing there with his phone. His eyes could make me forget about the noise. In fact, I was thinking of fantasies of him being a delivery boy. Anyway…

I kissed him. "Hey, why are you here?"

"I didn't want to miss seeing Jake and Nessie together."

"You suck at lying. You want to make Jake and Nessie behave."

He didn't argue. "I won't until I give her away at her wedding, and maybe after that."

Renesmee came out the bathroom and noticed Edward, "DADDY!" She hopped into his arms. Even though she had the body of a fourteen year old, she was still daddy's little girl.

"Hey, Nessie monster…" I hated Edward's nickname for her. I almost killed Jacob and Seth for that. "You're ready to see Jake?"

"Yep," she grabbed her purse, "Mom, how do I look?"

"Pretty as a peach. Now, Jake is tired. He just had a hard test, and he has another one tomorrow."

"Saturday?"

"It's college. It doesn't follow regular school hours. Let's go."

Edward had been here years ago, and he knew the campus well enough. "I studied medicine here in 1967. A lot has changed from then."

"I never got why you didn't start a practice like Carlisle."

"My appearance couldn't fool a lot of people, especially over time. Carlisle can alter his looks, so he appears older. You really can't change a seventeen year old body to look thirty. Actually, going here was more of a challenge. I had to study and work hard for the degree. I could handle blood, but I had to feed daily just to function."

As a student, Edward purchased a house off 17th Avenue, and he computed around campus. Now, Jacob and any other Quileute were able to use the house as they attended Washington, so they didn't have to worry about housing or finding places to study. From where we were and Jacob, the Red Square was the middle.

In the middle of the campus, next to Suzzallo Library, is the Red Square. Edward mentioned in the late sixties they would rally against the Vietnam War and anything else that helped a party to happen. Jake perched on the top stairs of the library waiting for us. Nessie sprinted into Jake's arms half way down the stairs, and he twirled her near the pyramid display.

"I missed you, Jake!"

"Me, too, honey, me too." Looking up, "Hey, Bells, Edward, we made it."

Edward smiled, "Ness worked really hard to be here, right, Ness?"

"Most definitely! I got my door and my phone."

"I see you're wearing my sweatshirt."

I tried to cover a grimace, knowing it was a trigger of disgust for me. "I sleep with the husky every night!" I was glad she didn't want to talk about the sweatshirt either.

"I'm starving. Let's get pizza," and with a wink, Jacob smiled, "and some blood popsicles."

Both Edward and I weren't amused. We headed west to a local pizza place, when a college girl stopped us.

"Jake!"

"Kelly, hey."

"That logic final sucked."

"Yeah..I'm still defragging right now. I'm spending time with friends." She was a brunette, maybe nineteen, five-seven, and cute. Joy.

She waved, "Thanks for helping me. I don't think I would have survived it."

"Not a problem." She hugged Jacob and walked away.

It was a problem. We've got a jealous hybrid on our hands.


	7. Tension

As we walked to the pizza parlor, Edward had pulled Nessie forward, so he could talk to her. Jacob didn't understand why. "What's with Edward?"

"He's concerned. Renesmee has some feelings she has to work with her Dad."

"What feelings?"

"Homicidal ones."

Jacob stopped and glared at me. "WHAT?!"

"This is one of the first times she has been with you when there are normal people around. In most cases, it is around my family or yours, so there is no confusion. She reacted poorly to the girl you were talking to."

"Kelly, she's a friend…"

"Edward and I know that, but Ness does not. Since you've never been a fourteen year old girl, you don't know what she's going through. It is a logic that can never be understood, because, frankly, her moods, attitudes, and thoughts are illogical. For her, especially, it's drama times a thousand percent, and she does not have the defense mechanisms to protect herself."

"Should we be worried?"

"We're going to keep an eye on her, but there is one thing that alarms Edward."

"What?"

"She is protecting her thoughts, so he can't read them. Other than me, he hasn't had any problems, but Ness is part me, so she could be shielding him, too."

Things seemed to calm down at the pizza parlor. Renesmee was laughing and acting like herself, and we could relax a little. Pizza is one food—even as a vampire—I cannot resist. I know it will be regurgitated later, but it's the experience of good pizza.

The rest of afternoon, Jacob gave a walking tour of the campus, and we entered the bookstore. We spent two hours inside—through the clothing, stuffed animals, glassware, and school supplies. By the end, we must have filled a large suitcase. Edward carried all the packages willingly, because his daughter was acting like a kid again—holding the stuffed husky unashamed. We would take breaks, and she would talk to the dog and pretend it was talking back. I would like to keep the Hello Kitty Renesmee for a couple more years than the Lady Gaga Renesmee.

Dinner was not a college hangout; it was fancier than that. I think Edward likes the intimacy and the number of people in restaurant than a bar or hamburger joint where the college kids' thoughts didn't want him to make them into a human buffet.

Jacob talked while chewing on a garlic breadstick, "About tomorrow…" Thank God we don't die of garlic, because his breath could have killed the toughest of our kind.

Nessie's eyes met him as she slurped up a spaghetti string. "Yes?"

"My final's at ten, so I won't be done until noon or so. I'll text you guys when I'm done. Bells, you and Edward can have some alone…"

"There's no need, Jake," Edward interrupted him. "We spend enough time together as a couple…"

Renesmee rolled her eyes, "Da-d, please. I don't need a chaperone." Ah, the teenager has returned.

"I know, honey, but you aren't familiar with the area and if you got lost…"

"Really, Dad? This is the excuse you're giving me. Really? You don't want Jacob and me alone and be all kissy-faced. Please."

Edward just stared at his daughter. He was caught, and he was lost for words—one of his firsts in a while. "You're right. I need to trust you." He didn't say what he was thinking, _I don't trust Jacob—not before with Bella and not now with Renesmee._ "So, Jake, where are you guys going to do tomorrow?"

Jacob knew Edward's thoughts all too well, so he knew his answer had to be G rated, "Probably an arcade or movie—the new _Star Trek_ movie."

Edward nodded. "Sounds good. If you need anything, Renesmee has her phone." Again, that was code for _Just so you know I'll be thinking about you._ I may not be able to read minds, but Edward and Jacob are open books—their body language and tone tell the stories without any words. Even though the lover's triangle is over, it's now a Daddy protection issue. He never truly understood Carlisle's love for his children and how protective he is about his family. Now, he does—full heartedly.

We dropped off Jacob at his house, and Edward made sure it was a hug and a kiss on the cheek and that was it. He made Charlie look like a pushover. At the hotel, Renesmee went to sleep quickly, anticipating the next day. Finally, Edward was able to unwind all the tension in his muscles.

"Tough being a parent, huh?" I smiled at him.

He kissed me. "And you made it possible. Thank you."

"Warts and all?"

"Warts and all and Jacob."

…..

The next morning, Edward, Nessie, and I went window shopping. We could cover a lot of distance unlike a human family; ten miles was like a mile for humans. We were able to take pictures at the Gas Works Park, where it was practically a large jungle gym, and the Neptune Theater. Edward showed Renesmee the layout from the audience, the wings, the offstage, and the stage itself.

"Think if you would be able to perform here," Edward mused, "all your music. Can't you hear the audience applauding?" Renesmee's eyes widen and glowed.

"My first step toward Carnegie Hall, Daddy?"

"Anything is possible, my sweet."

We received a call to meet Jacob at the house. The final was over, and he wanted to spend time with Ness. It's a simple house probably dating in the early forties, but it gave everything Jake needed to comfortable.

Ness hugged both of us before she left. Edward made sure her phone was on and charged. To think that when we were dating, it could have been seen as stalking, but Edward made sure Jacob knew who was in charge.

"What time are you coming back?" Edward shouted out of the window.

"Five, six, if that's okay with you guys."

I interrupted Edward, "Sure. Have fun."

Edward glared into my eyes. "Not fair."

"She's my daughter, too, and she needs to be treated and trusted."

Putting the car into drive, he mumbled, "You're right." This is one phrase I don't hear a lot.

We both knew we had to be our strongest, so we drove to Chimney Rock just east of the campus. After a couple of elk, we climbed the trees that hovered over Seattle and into the Pacific Ocean. As a human, I didn't think these images could be real, but now, it is more and more a way to find perspective.

Edward smiled as he balanced on a branch as he did years ago. "What?"

"What an incredible gift you've given me."

"It's a gift with a price."

"As long as I'm with you, I'll take that price."

"You know, Nessie is not going to be happy when we pick her up. She knows about the party."

"Could we take her somewhere to get her mind off this?"

"Vancouver isn't far away—twenty minutes by plane. We could have dinner and hang out by the beaches. Do you think Ness would like that?"

"She's never been there—I've never been there, so it will be great."

We traveled back to Jacob's house and arrived a little after six. They were watching TV and eating popcorn. Renesmee jumped into her father's arms, "Did you have a great day with Jacob?"

"The movie was good. We did Laser Tag afterwards and I beat him."

"Did not!" Jacob teased.

"So, why don't you say goodbye, so we can take you somewhere special?" I wanted to make this as easy as possible.

"What, what, what?"

"That's part of the surprise." Renesmee gave Jacob a big brother hug and kissed him on the cheek.

"I'll see you tomorrow, kid."

Ness jumped off the porch and raced to our car. Edward and I were thrilled that Ness was happy to leave and go to another adventure. We drove to the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and flew to Vancouver. Ness was excited to be in an airplane and watched the coastline mix with the ocean. In a matter of twenty-five minutes, we landed at the Boundary Bay Airport. Edward found a great place to eat in the suburbs of Vancouver. With a blanket and a small cooler, we were able to see the sunset in Canada.

Ness yawned. "You tired, honey?" I hugged her.

"A little. It's pretty here, so quiet and peaceful."

Edward started to pick up and fold the blanket. "You know, we could stay here tonight. There are plenty of inns…"

Nessie shook her head. "I want to sleep with my husky and sweatshirt." Good try, Edward. He was still frustrated that he could read his daughter's thoughts and wondered what she was really thinking about.

By eleven, we returned to Seattle and entered the hotel. Ness stopped at the arcade. "Dad? Can I play some games, please?"

"It's eleven at night."

"I know, but it's Saturday and the arcade's open until midnight. I'll be ready for bed then."

Those big brown puppy dog eyes hooked Edward every time. "Here." He handed her some bill. "Midnight." She hugged her Dad, and she started to get tokens for the games.

That gave us an hour to be with each other and relax. We got lost in an old movie, and Edward looked at his watch. "Damn."

"What?"

"It's twelve fifteen. She's not here." Edward quickly got his clothes on, and he grabbed the key card. "Bella, get dressed and packed. If she's not there, she's-"

"Jacob."

He must have sprinted, because two minutes later, my phone rang. "She's gone. The night clerk saw her leave at eleven fifteen. She's been gone for an hour." Edward kept mumbling and mumbling, "We have to find her before someone gets hurt."

With bags in hand and vampire speed, I was in the car heading for campus.


	8. Time

12:20

Edward drove as fast as he could toward the campus when his phone rang. "Alice?" He listened and his eyes widened. "Where? Is she okay? All right, that's what we'll do."

"And?"

"Renesmee is going to hurt someone if we don't stop her. She said there were a fountain and a mountain in the background. That's Drumheller for sure." Edward pushed the Bluetooth phone and said, "JACOB."

The phone rang and rang with no answer. Edward was about to twist the steering wheel when voice mail showed up. "Jacob, Nessie is in trouble. This is an emergency. Meet us at Drumheller."

12:25

Even though cars are not legal on the fairways to the fountain, Edward did not care. We jumped out of the car, and he started to concentrate on Nessie's thoughts. Edward began to race east of the fountain where clusters of trees nestled around the area. There, Nessie was crying as a young woman's body was bloodied and bruised.

"Bella, your shield!" I covered the area with a forcefield. Edward began to check for vitals.

"Renesmee, what happened?"

"She…she kissed…Jacob. I came here to see what kind of party it was, and she kissed him." Kelly, the girl we met earlier, had scratches and bruises everywhere.

"What did Jacob do?"

"NOTHING! He let her. She wanted more than just friendship…"

"And?"

"I didn't hear the rest." I rolled my eyes at the teenage response.

12:30

Jacob finally arrived and gulped at the horror. "Oh, God."

"We can't call for help until the two of you leave."

"Why?"

"Alice told me that the two of you must go home NOW. We'll take care of everything else."

"But the girl?"

"I think she'll be fine. She has a broken nose and a broken wrist, but it's her memory, I'm worried about." Edward kissed me and then kissed Ness's head. "Ness," his daughter lifted her head, "everything is going to be fine, but we'll have to talk about it later." She nodded. "GO."

12:37

I carried Ness back to the car and threw her in the backseat. "Buckle up!" Putting in reverse, I slammed on the accelerator and zipped through the fairway and onto traffic. I can find the path to I-5 just by the directions we used before.

"Mom?"

"I don't want to talk to you right now."

"But Mommy?"

"Let me get us home!"

2:00

We finally got to US-12 and ten minutes from home. Renesmee cried herself asleep. I wasn't really sure if taking her to our house was safe for me or her, so I drove right to the main house.

Carlisle opened the door and carried Renesmee inside. Esme was at my door. "Are you okay, honey?"

"I don't know." I looked down. "I promised my Dad that we wouldn't leave, but if this exposes us…."

"Right now, we control what we can. Come on inside."

Rosalie was at the door with Emmett. "Hey, Bells, Carlisle cleaned her of all blood and residue. He told her to take a hot shower."

I plopped down on the sofa when Alice came in with Jasper. Cell phone in hand, she sat beside me. "Bella, you need to call your Mom."

"WHY?"

"I had a vision you and Ness driving toward Florida and then you were on the road with your Mom."

"We have to leave," I cracked.

"Not long. I think Ness needs this."

"Dad?"

"You can call him from the road. We'll let him know the details."

"It's 2:30."

"I know…why don't you go home, take a shower, and pack. By that time, it will be a good time to call her." I nodded. "I'll come with you."

"Thanks for being my sister."

She kissed my forehead. "I knew we were going to be sisters before Edward knew. Let's go."


	9. Being a Teenager Vampire Hybrid Sucks

Renesmee was awake by six, in which Rosalie pushed her into the shower and promised to do her hair. Carlisle made breakfast for her, and Jasper and Emmett loaded the car. Edward had not called yet, and we were all concerned. We knew we would all have to leave if anything was exposed, and any exposure would be a death sentence for all of us.

I dialed my Mom's cell, hoping she had it on. Her phone and she have had a tumultuous relationship where the phone hides from her or the power cord. She picked up on the third ring, "Hey, Bella."

"Hi, Mom." How do I start this? We're escaping from a possible Volturian hit. "Renesmee and I were wanting to see you."

"That would be wonderful. When?"

"A few days…we're going on our own girls' drive."

"Why don't you fly out?" Because I don't want Ness to blab…

"Renesmee has not been on a road trip like this, and I think it would be great for us to travel and make our own quilt."

"That's wonderful, Bella. I was planning to see Phil this weekend." Phil has been playing third base for the Lehigh Valley Ironpigs for the past year. It's a step from the majors, and Mom would go up to see if twice a month. Mom's job is portable, all through the internet, so she isn't strapped down with location.

"Well, we should be there Friday. Can we join you?"

"OF COURSE! I've missed spending time with you, and Ness needs this time with people she loves." Mom still believes Ness has a genetic disorder that ages her faster than normal, and even though she's had plenty of opportunities to figure it out, I think she purposely ignores logic altogether. In fact, that's the way she's lived her life; another reason Mom and Charlie didn't see eye to eye.

"We'll call to update where we're at."

"I'm so excited! I'll see you in a couple of days." Mom was thrilled, and I wished I had her enthusiasm.

By seven, Renesmee and I gave our hugs to the family and left for Jacksonville. It was a two day trip straight through, and there were needed stops for gas and food, but I didn't have to worry about sleep or problems being on the road for hours.

It was a two hour trip out of Washington with the mountainous area. We would be able to make time as we hit the plain states. For the first hour or so, Ness stared out of the window hugging her husky.

"Honey, baby, are you okay?"

"I'm sorry we have to do this."

"Do what?"

"Run away."

"We're not running away. This is so you can relax and let Daddy and Jake do their jobs."

"Jake's not going to want to talk me ever again." A single tear fell on her left cheek. "I did the unthinkable."

I touched her cheek. "Jake loves you. He may be upset, but time heals that. I think he's more disappointed."

"I hate that phrase."

I could feel a grin crack on my face. "It sucks, doesn't it? Being disappointed is worse than any grounding or beating of any kind, but Jake knows this time of your life is going to be difficult."

"Why? Why does it have to be?"

"Because you're a teenager. Everything around you is changing including your body and your feelings. In Phoenix, it was drama and more drama in high school. Who liked whom? What did she say? He is breaking up with so and so. I never realized when I moved to Forks that the drama was not drama—it was life or death.

"Daddy knew that. He's been stuck being a teenager for over a hundred years. I had only been a teenager for a few years. He didn't want me to be frozen like him, to not experience growing old. I guess my stubbornness got the best of me." I smiled at Ness. "The drama got more and more intense as our relationship grew and scared the crap out of Grandpa. I couldn't tell him anything."

"Why didn't you tell him?"

"What, oh by the way, I'm dating a vampire? After we got married and had you, he had to accept it, but before, he would have killed me. Again, his disappointment was worse than any pain the Volturi could inflict.

"The biggest issue about exposure is the lies. We have to mislead people and tell half-truths, so they don't know. Many humans would not be as welcoming knowing their neighbors are vampires. I know we don't set a good example of truth, but that's why our family and the Quileutes are important—we can be ourselves and not lie. Besides with Alice, you can't."

Nessie giggled and then was somber, "So this…drama..is normal."

"Drama, yes. Normal—we are far from normal. That's not bad, but we create our own reality. That's why Daddy and Jake are there—to help us when we need them."

After a gas refill and a bite to eat, Renesmee fell asleep as we went through Oregon and part of Idaho. The music stopped for a phone call. Edward had called for an update.

"Hey…"

"Are you on speaker?"

"Yeah, but Ness is asleep."

"The girl is going to be okay. She has a broken nose, bruises, and scratches. The hit on the head is still in question about her memory. She hasn't woken up as of yet."

"What's the next step?"

Edward took a deep breath. "The best scenario is she didn't see a thing nor has any memory of the event. I've already taken care of the hospital and doctors' bills, so she won't have that burden. The worst scenario is her identifying Ness and her connection to Jake. The both families are alert, but we're not doing anything until that."

"Do you want us to meet you somewhere after we meet up with Mom?"

"No," he said firmly, "Renesmee has to heal."

"She's full of guilt."

"She will for a time. Unfortunately when a vampire or vampire hybrid has a conscience, guilt follows every attack." I knew he was speaking from experience after killing men, and I felt it after I maimed the guy who killed Jessica. "We just have to be there for her in the meantime. I'll call her later."

"I love you."

"I love you."

Utah and Wyoming dissolved into the sunrise, and I watched as my skin twinkled with the sun's rays—wishing for one moment, Ness wasn't a vampire hybrid, but just a little girl—who didn't need to deal with growing up issues at her young age.


	10. Moral Obligation

May 23, 2013

We arrived in Florida late Thursday evening a little ahead of schedule. Renee screamed as she opened the door and grabbed Nessie out of the car. Renesmee loves her Grandma and loves spending time with her. Ness has Jasper and Emmett to play with, but really no female adult to play with. Renee really hasn't grown up, and that was fine with Ness.

"I've missed you two so much. I am so glad you decided to visit me." Mom hugged me. "Bella, you must have had the air conditioning high. Your skin is so cold." Thanks, Mom, but can't change that. "Now, I am so hyped to take you to see Phil. He was so excited he was going to see you guys." The last time we saw them was New Year's.

I pulled out one suitcase for tonight as Mom walked Nessie in the house. The beach house is perfect for Mom, but not for me, it's a good place for a vacation. Besides, I would worry about hurricanes tearing the house apart every other year. As I stepped in, Renee and Renesmee were leaning against a map. "I know this route like the back of my hand. There are some cool shops and places we can start gathering our own t-shirts. It's a thirteen hour drive, but with you guys here, it will go sooo fast."

I wanted Renesmee to get a good night sleep on a bed before we hit the road again. She got into her PJs, and Grandma took out one of the seventeen photo albums and talked as if the pictures made a story. I liked when she did that. You remember more if you can connect with it, but right now, I didn't want to see my bathtub pictures, so this was the perfect time to call Edward for an update.

The May wind makes it comfortable to be in a t-shirt and jeans. I know temperature doesn't really mean much anymore, but I do remember how I could sleep outside with this breeze. Edward answered on the first ring. "Hey."

"Hey. What's up?"

"The girl has been released to her family and has not filed a police report, because she has no memory of her attacker—if it was an attacker at all. She's a heavy drinker, and she believes she might have done this to herself and then, blackout. Her family is insisting that she talk to a counselor about her habits."

I leaned my head onto my palm. "Geez, I don't know how to take this news. It's just got bad to worse."

"The good news is our daughter is safe, and maybe this was the reason to get the girl some help before things got worse for her." It was strange; Edward referred to "the girl" and not her name, Kelly. It kinda dehumanizes the victim and sounds as if she doesn't matter. I'm glad Nessie is safe, but not to the cost of a young woman's sanity.

"We're helping her other than the hospital bills, right?"

"Now, that's it. I want to see—"

"Edward, our daughter hurt someone and created pain for an innocent person. I know she may not know all the details, but there's got to be more to be done-at least her semester bills, the counseling bills, and pain and suffering."

He didn't answer for a moment. "How do you suggest we do that without exposure?" He was aggravated, but he knew I had a point.

"I don't know—an anonymous donor? A scholarship? Kelly shouldn't take all the blame and guilt for this. It isn't fair and you know it. I know money won't solve everything, and Ness understands her role in the mess. It is a moral obligation."

He growled. I haven't heard him growl in awhile. "Dammit, Bella, Alice told me you'd be giving me hell about this. She even used _moral obligation_!"

"Sisters think the same—"

"I'll see what I can do. When do you leave?"

"Mom said early tomorrow. We're going to stop half way—probably Virginia and then meet up with Phil on Saturday. Hopefully, then, I can hunt enough for the rest of the trip."

"Don't you have the emergency kit?" In our cooler of juice and water was a false bottom. It carried two pouches of blood in case of emergency.

"Yes, don't worry. I don't want to use that unless I'm in dire straits."

"With the hunt, don't be economical."

"Economical? Really, Edward, you're beginning to sound like Charlie." Click.


	11. Nineteen Stops

Nineteen Stops. Nineteen stops from Jacksonville, Florida to Raleigh, North Carolina took almost thirteen hours. The entire trip with minimal stops usually would take thirteen hours, but with my mother, anything is possible.

At first, I thought we were going to make time getting up early and taking off early in the morning—you know to beat traffic, but my mother insisted to take the first length of the trip. Instead, she traveled up I-75 instead of I-95 to go to Atlanta. She had tickets for the Coca-Cola tour in Atlanta for 11:30 and didn't want to be late.

We arrived around nine and had breakfast, and we went to the tour, which in Mom's favor was pretty awesome. In fact, I had to have soda; it was Coca-Cola! For me, well, it was more like wine tasting: you take a sip, taste it, and spit it out, because everything that would go in would have to come out later, and I had eaten pancakes, sausage, and eggs to please Renee's worries about my weight.

Then, like almost all girls' favorite thing to do is to shop, and believe me, Renee and Nessie shopped. We spent an hour just at the clothing area! In all, Ness had two outfits, a sweatshirt, socks, and a stuffed polar bear, and Mom bought me a sweatshirt and Coca-Cola earrings. We all contributed to the t-shirt quilt with a shirt or two. Alice and Rosalie would have been proud of Nessie today.

From there, we stopped at every minor league town along the way, because Phil and she had traveled different routes to all the cities in the South. Greenville, Spartanburg, and Durham were just a few, and in each little town, Mom had to show Ness a cool restaurant, a gift shop, or some other thing Ness "had" to see. I had to go along with it; she bought the story of Renesmee's "illness," so she wanted to show her everything before she would get too old to travel. If only, she knew.

By six-thirty in the evening, we made Raleigh and checked into a town nearby. Mom wanted a view, and I needed to hunt, so a small hotel met both of our needs. I complained about an achy stomach, which all the food did, and bowed out of dinner, so Ness and Mom could have one on one time. The Umstead National Park was perfect for me to refill and make the rest of the trip without being worried. Renesmee knew what kind of time I needed, so she and Mom didn't return until I was way done. Mom, of course, brought food back, and I nibbled to make her happy. What I do for my mother….

Renesmee passed out around ten-thirty, but Mom was wide awake. She's always been a night owl and can survive without a ton of sleep. Now, it was a thing we had in common—the nighttime. Outside of each room was a wooden porch that gave enough privacy to welcome the sunrise and a cup of coffee and shaded enough so I didn't twinkle like a disco ball. I breathed in mountainous air and floral accents from every direction. This could be a stopping point on the way back it was so nice.

Renee came out with two cups of tea as the sun finally rose. I accepted it with a smile, and she sat on the seat next to me. "You've been up the entire night?"

"No, I had sleep. I wanted to get some fresh air."

She looked through the screen door. "You've got a special little girl there."

I took a sip. "I know, Mom."

"But she's sad…and you are, too."

Mom was never Edward or Alice, but she could read me better than the two of them together. "Nessie and I are having a wonderful time. What makes you think we're sad?"

"Your eyes, both of you—you both experienced something and you're still dealing with it. Are you and Edward okay?"

"Yeah—why?"

"I don't know, a sudden trip, driving long distance instead of flying. It kinda sounds like me when I had problems with your Dad. I needed time to think and make up my mind."

"Edward and I are fine…"

"But Renesmee isn't…is her condition getting worse?"

Out of all the times I wanted to tell Mom the truth, this was the moment—the one moment where I could practically scream it and not be heard-and I don't. "No, Carlisle says she's stabilizing."

"I know about Seattle."

OH MY GOD-WHAT-DID-SHE KNOW NOW? Had Nessie told Mom out of guilt or needed Grandma's hug? "Seattle?"

"She said she got into a fight with Jacob. I guess he is really mad at her? I know they've been close since she's been born, but she seems crushed. I forget her true age and not think of her as a moody teenager, but…"

"Renesmee has always felt that Jacob was her world. He spent so much time with her that she thought that would never end." In the Quileute culture, it wouldn't have, "but… the Cullens had offered to help with any of the Quileutes who wanted to go to college—and they have been so good to us, and Jacob had to take the opportunity."

"That's reasonable. He should be able where his dreams take him."

I took a cleansing breath. "Renesmee didn't take it well. She started having tantrums—making dents in walls and breaking everything in her path, and Edward and I had to teach her how to control her anger. Her condition makes her feel ten times as bad as a typical teenager, so we had to be tough but fair to her. Through time, she earned an opportunity to see Jacob in Seattle."

"That's great. She's learning…"

"But Nessie realized she wasn't Jacob's entire world. He had made friendships with guys and girls, and college life is different than Forks. Nessie got into a fight with one of his girl friends."

Mom put her hand over her heart in panic. "Was everybody okay?"

Okay, stay close to the truth. "Overall, yes, but Renesmee was mortified. She had ruined all the work she did to get to Seattle, and she thought Jacob wasn't going to talk to her again. We—Edward and I –thought a trip—a long trip—would help Nessie sort through her problems. "

"And Jacob?"

"He's not mad, really. He feels horrible and somewhat responsible of what happened, but it's not. She's just going through some growing pains."

"When your Dad called about you getting hurt in Phoenix, he ranted and raved about how Edward was the cause and how he would kill him when he got there." If only, he could. "Strange-he saw Edward's face and how distraught he was over you, he didn't say anything to him. Charlie knew Edward loved you." She turned to face me. "Growing pains are not just for teenagers; parents have them, too."

In over five years, this was the most honest conversation I had with my mother. I stuck to the truth and left the werewolf-imprint-vampire-hybrid stuff out. It had been the first time in the whole trip where I could relax and enjoy the trip.


	12. Allentown

May 25, 2013

_Oh, we're living here in Allentown_

_And they closin' factories down_

_Out in Bethlehem they're killin' time_

_Filling out forms, standing in line_

The moment we crossed the Allentown sign Mom pushed play. Through the speakers, Billy Joel's _Allentown_ blasted through each window. I guess this is a tradition, because Ness had it on her I-Pod and was practicing the lyrics. Mom's tone deaf, but Nessie can carry a tune—that's her Dad's side, definitely not mine. They sway back and forth-and singing and air-guitaring.

_Every child had a pretty good shot_

_To get as far as their old man got_

_Something happened on the way to that place_

_They threw an American flag in our face._

Ness and Mom have such a connection with music. Ness's playlists range from classical to punk to rap to hip hop to show tunes. Mom, a child of the late 70s and early 80s, had played _Grease, Saturday Night Fever, Dirty Dancing, _and a little Abba just to grate on each of my nerves. I like that music, but Mom's rendition is not the best.

I remember how Edward talked about music as he progressed through the twentieth century. He loved the twenties, thirties, and forties—jazz, swing, and Big Band, liked the fifties and early sixties, hated the psychedelic sixties and seventies' disco, and swung back into liking music in the eighties, nineties, and now. I wonder how I'll feel after a hundred years, what I'll like and dislike.

After checking into the hotel, Nessie, Mom, and I did some window shopping around town. Phil had returned late from his away game last night, so we couldn't see him until almost game time. Of course, Mom and Nessie were dying to get some Allentown memorabilia and begin their collection of Ironpig apparel and whatever they found in the meantime. Me, well, I went to what I would do human or not human—go to a book store near by.

Lehigh Valley had been the setting of one of Mom's favorite book series—John Jakes' _North and South_. She read the entire series and bought the mini-series first on VHS and now DVD—it's a Patrick Swayze thing. While in Phoenix, I was in an advanced placement American history class, and I had chosen to read the first book about the Civil War and two sided families. I know why my Mom loved the book, but I liked them, because it intertwined the Mains and the Hazards through the Antebellum through past Reconstruction. Even though I hate soap operas, I had to continue to read the next books to see what was going to happen next.

The book store had a corner just on the novel. There were autographed copies, shirts, coffee cups, and the sort to publicize the book. I knew I could just bring it up on my e-reader, but with some books, the grasp of the spine, pages, and weight of the book makes reading more enjoyable. I decided to buy a paperback version of the three books and meet my mother and daughter—wherever they might be.

Renee and Renesmee had two gargantuan bags of stuff. They both had _Nylon Curtain _album shirts on and bracelets dangling from each wrist. This, I am not surprised—at all. I know Renee didn't do a lot of planning with my wedding, because Alice high jacked it, but I bet she and Renee would have a ball going shopping for whatever the occasion.

At five-thirty, we met up with Phil at Coca-Cola Park, home of the Ironpigs. Alike to the song, Allentown dried up after factories were either relocated or shut down, and people had a hard time making ends meet. In the past two years, the Ironpigs have gained more of a following since an All-Star Hall of Famer became their manager. People from Chicago or Philadelphia would drive or fly down to see this legend of the 1980s and 1990s, and with that, there was an increase in business. Restaurants, hotels, motels, and a variety of shops began to fill in the gaps where the factories had last been. One man can change a town.

In the locker room, one of the crew had dressed Nessie with a copy of Phil's uniform, an Ironpigs cap, and a couple of baseballs. Phil showed her how to bend her brim, so it looked like one of the players. Mom made sure to take plenty of pictures of us. I am not sure if Renee or Phil had told the team about Ness. Honestly, Nessie and I didn't want the attention like she's a Make a Wish child. In fact, we would rather tell the truth than take away a chance for a dying child to get his last wish.

Renee and I decided to take our seats on the third base side and watch Ness enjoy herself. It's still eerie, you know. Just seven years ago, Mom and I were at a minor league game in Arizona, and Mom was hit in the hand with a foul ball. We had to go to the hospital; she had broken four bones in her hand. Phil came after the game and apologized—and that's how it all started. I knew I could play baseball now, but I still have that human fear of a ninety-five an hour fastball coming at my head.

Ness came running to our seats. She had the two baseballs in her hands and holding them gingerly. "What's up, babe?" I kissed her on her cheek.

"Ryne Sandberg signed these baseballs for me, and I didn't want them to get messed up." She handed the balls to me, but something caught my eye.

"You had one made out to Grandpa?"

"Of course! Grandpa knows all about baseball, and he knows all these players and statistics—and not just Mariners stuff. Do you think he'll like it?"

Renee hugged her as I looked at her. "I think your Granddad will be so surprised. He'll love it."

"You know," Renee tickled Ness, "they do have plastic boxes that hold baseballs. We can get two, so they'll be safe."

"Awesome!" Renesmee jumped from my mother's arms. "Uncle Phil said I could shag some fly balls before the game. I gotta go!" Granddad was just not-Phil. He liked his name or Uncle, instead of Grandpa.

My daughter has grown a lot, but she is her Granddad's girl. Ever since she's been little, she has sat on Grandpa's lap and watched most of the Mariners' games. She even checks them on her phone to see how they're doing during these weeks we are away. It doesn't surprise me that she's tomboyish, because she plays with Emmett, Jasper, and Edward and wrestles with Jacob, Seth, and any Quileute who wants to take her on. Alice and Rose have tried desperately to make her more girly, but she has a lot of years to be girly. Now, she had to be a kid.


	13. Just Another Day in the Life

May 28, 2012

For the next three days, Renesmee consumed a gallon of ice creams, tubs of popcorn, and a mound of collectible from every shop in town. When I had told Mom I wanted to sleep in, she'd taken Nessie everywhere. I knew they wouldn't return in hours, so I had plenty of time to hunt and be ready for the drive return; however, every time I ate human food, it used some of the energy from the hunt. With Mama Hawk, there was no way I could avoid eating in front of her.

Each day, Nessie was on the field: taking ground balls, hitting some batting practice, and becoming a facet of the team. In fact for two of the games, she was on the bench with Phil who told her everything he knew about the visiting team and how the team was going to attack. She even offered a job being a ball girl from the manager himself, because she was one of the quickest kids who could shag balls and bats and didn't complain about the work. As much as I know she would love it, she had to say no for now.

We arranged to be at the same Raleigh hotel as before; Mom loved the view, and I needed the space to hunt for the night. It was a seven hour drive, and Mom always stretched the drive to nine or ten with her agenda. We thought a Tuesday wouldn't be bad to travel; however, I-95 was backed up from D.C.—another delay I wasn't planning on. We would end up being in Raleigh, if we were lucky, by eleven at night.

At 10:45, we exited off the expressway and drove to the hotel. Our room was reserved, so we didn't have to worry about that, but Mom and Ness were exhausted. Ness had wrapped herself in her UW sweatshirt and used the hood as a pillow, and Mom had been snoring for the past fifty miles. As Mom and Ness woke, Renee stretched her arms. "Let's just get what we need and leave the rest in the car."

Ness and I exited the car from the same side, and our eyes met simultaneously. "Mom?"

"I know—and it's a lot and the person's alive. Ness, you need to distract Gram."

"You're not going to…"

"NO! We have to get them some help. GO!" Ness grabbed her grandmother and made her go to the reception area to check in. At the same time, I rushed to the blood pool. In the brush, a woman was covered in blood, and she moaned.

"I'm Bella….I'm here to help." Nessie was at the door watching. "Ness, get your grandmother."

I stripped my hoodie and placed under her head as Mom and Renesmee showed up. "My God, what happened?"

"Mom, I think she's in shock. Can you get the blanket from the car?"

Nessie kneeled down beside the woman. "Mom, she's bleeding from this side and below."

I made eye contact with the woman. "Have you've been raped?" A single trickle fell down her cheek and nodded. Mom returned with the blanket, and Ness had taken off her sweatshirt and clotted the wound on her side. "Ness?"

"What? She'll die if she loses too much blood. This sweatshirt isn't worth that." Three weeks ago, Renesmee Cullen would have never said that.

In the distance, an ambulance siren echoed through the mountains, unknown if it was coming for us. "The hotel clerk called for the ambulance," Mom answered my question. "He said it should be here soon." Renee looked at Ness who was clotting the blood with her knee and placed her hand on the woman's face. You could feel the woman's heartbeat start to decrease, her breathing to normal, and her anxiety at ease.

"Bella, should Nessie…"

"Yes. Mom, she has a gift of comforting people. Her touch and her eyes help others to be calm. It's amazing, Mom."

"It's going to be okay," Nessie said to the woman as the sirens echoed louder and louder. The woman nodded as she held my daughter's hand.

The paramedics parked right at the scene, and a police car followed them—taping off the area for investigation purposes. Two men came with a stretcher and loaded the woman onto the ambulance; she started screaming and freaking out. "I'm not going alone! I can't do this! I need Nessie! Where is she?! I need Nessie! Nessie!"

Ness was at her feet within seconds. "I'm here."

"You have to come with me. I'm scared. I can't do this without you. PLEASE!"

Renesmee didn't need permission. She looked at me and I think I nodded, because she jumped onto the bench and held the woman's hand.

The paramedic closed the doors. He made eye contact with Renee. "We're taking her to Duke Raleigh Hospital. It's about a twenty minute drive there. You can meet up with your daughter there." Renee didn't say anything, but it wasn't the time for it. She just nodded as the ambulance pulled out of the lot.

We reached the hospital in less than twenty minutes and grabbed some clothes for myself and Ness. Both of us were covered in blood from head to toe, and my shoes were ruined. Luckily, I had another pair just in case. Ness had Crocs, but she never wore them outside. The Emergency Room was full for a Tuesday. Duke University's hospital had traffic year round, especially during basketball season. Ness was at a chair with her hands crossed.

"MOM!" She jumped and hugged me.

"Hi, baby." She usually hated that, but I didn't hear any objection. "How's the woman?"

"Her name is Samantha Steinberg. She's from Richmond, Virginia, but goes to North Carolina. She just finished her semester, and she went out with friends. She met this guy, and…it was awful. Mom, she cried all the way to the hospital and when talking to the police. I had to leave, because the nurses were going to do a kit on her and some tests. I overheard surgery, too."

I kissed her forehead. "She's in good hands. We got her help."

"Mom, how…"

A blonde nurse interrupted her question. "Hello, ladies, I'm Judy, one of the nurses here. Now, we got showers for you all and you can change into others. If not, we have scrubs for you."

"Mom," I asked Renee. "Why don't you go with Renesmee and get her all cleaned up? I forgot some things in the car before I change clothes, okay?"

Mom nodded, and Nessie smiled at her grandmother. "Now, if y'all want to follow me, we'll get you scrubbed up." I smiled. This nurse must be starting her shift—she's too happy. They left as I humanly walked to the Volvo. Opening the hood, I pulled off the lid to the cooler, drove into the bottom of it, and pounded the bags of blood within seconds. Just another day for the vampire and her hybrid.


	14. Compassion

By four in the morning, echoes could be heard in the emergency room along with my mother's snores. She curled up on a couch and slept as Nessie and I waited for results.

"Mom, how did you do it?"

"Do what, honey?"

"You hadn't fed in days. Your eyes were getting dark, and there was blood everywhere."

"I didn't react like a vampire or human. I was compassionate. When you're involved in a traumatic event, you're focused with the problem." I recalled, "I thought the same about Carlisle. Being a doctor, he has seen so much and felt so much temptation. I couldn't understand it, but it is his gift—his compassion healed and comforted people when they were hurt or ill."

"But you could have killed her and took away all the misery?"

"Do you look at every cow and see a burger?"

"No."

"How about chickens in a yard? Do they start looking like chicken fingers?"

"No."

"Exactly, that's the difference between the Volturi and us. They have degraded humans to animals and feel no sympathy toward killing them—just like a hunter and a deer. It took a long time for our family to view humans as equals than moving juice boxes, and—"

By that time, a distraught couple came into the emergency room. They reminded me of Steve Martin and Diane Keaton from _Father of the Bride_ (another movie I watched with Mom). He was thin with white hair, and she also was thin with straight brunette hair like Keaton. The ruckus woke Mom and yawned as she cuddled next to us.

Nurse Judy calmed them down and directed them to us. "This is Renee and her two daughters. They found your little girl about twenty miles for here. These sweethearts saved your daughter's life."  
There was a quick silence, but then, the couple embraced us—taking time to cry and thank each of us. "I've let the doctor know, so he'll let you know about Miss Samantha's doing."

The father slunk into the chair nearest. "I can't begin to thank you. Sammy called us yesterday saying she'd be home within the next days. She just finished finals." His fingers ran through his silver locks.

The mother held her husband's hand. "Steve, it will be okay." Okay, really, Steve?

The silver and white doors opened to find a young doctor probably in his mid to late thirties. "Mr. and Mrs. Steinberg?" They nodded. "I'm Doctor Harris. If you'd come with me…"

Stilling holding his wife's hand, Steve questioned, "And these women?"

"Well, they're not family…"

The wife grabbed Renee's hand. "They are family. That's if you want to go, Renee?" Renee didn't have to ask for our opinion. We gathered our belongings and went in a family room.

The doctor crouched on the chair as we took the couches. He stared at Renesmee. "Some of what I'm going to tell you will be very graphic and I don't know," looking at Renee, "it would be wise for either of your daughters to hear this."

Renee responded, "My daughters were there, sir. They actually saved this woman's life. They actually saw everything first hand, so I think they'll be fine." I don't know if Renee was annoyed or angry at the doctor, but her reaction, in some way, meant she felt insulted.

He took a deep breath. "Fine. We have Samantha in the recovery room. We had to perform immediate surgery to her side and her vaginal area. Samantha was raped with a foreign object, probably a broken soda bottle. She's going to be sedated for at least twelve hours, so she doesn't feel the pain."

The wife started to cry. "Carol, I know, I know." Her husband tried to comfort her, but it wasn't worked. Mom was crying and squeezed my hand—hard—lucky for vampire fingers.

"A kit was recovered, and the police are working on the case as we speak."

"Will…my…daughter be able to have children?" Carol whispered.

The doctor looked away for a second. "That, I can't tell you as of yet. It may take several weeks to determine her fertility."

"Did she know her attacker?" Her father pushed out.

"The only information about anything came from this teenager. She was able to talk to her at the scene. By the time she reached the hospital, she was unconscious. The police will return later today to talk to all of you. She'll be placed in a room in the next thirty minutes or so, but she won't be awake. I recommend that you get some sleep and come back. The nurse took your information, and we'll call if something changes."

The doctor stood and shook all of our hands. He left as we were all standing. Carol hugged Renee, "Honey, why don't you take your girls back to the hotel and get some sleep? You've done the first shift. Let us take the next."

Renee kept hugging Carol. "Are you sure?"

"We'll be okay. We have some family things to do. I've got your cell and let you know."

I didn't say anything, because in a way, I was being treated as my appearance age and not my real age. In order to keep things normal, I acted like Ness was my sister and shyly said goodbye as well as Ness.

We reached the hotel at five in the morning. The clerk handed our cards to the room and headed down the hallway. Opening the door, Mom and Ness trudged into the room and collapsed on each bed—both sound asleep in minutes.

I knew I needed my strength, so I returned to meadow—away from the crime scene-and fed. Nessie was deeply affected by all this. I don't know if it's the stress of the situation or was she thinking about what she did in Washington?

When I returned to the hotel, I laid down next to Renesmee. Sensing my presence, she turned toward me and went back to sleep. As the hours past, tears began to fall on her face, and she woke up suddenly.

"It's okay—just a nightmare."

Now she was crying. "No, it wasn't. I saw myself hurting Sammy. I was cutting her and she was screaming—and I kept doing it, just like the girl I hurt at Washington. I was so cruel, so calculating that I didn't think about anyone else, but me. My selfish and jealous needs almost killed that woman, and I didn't care as long as she didn't talk to Jacob anymore. I was a monster like the person who mutilated Sammy."

I rocked her as she cried. "Honey, this is part of life that hurts. We're in a similar situation, and our minds take us back to the original occurrence. "

"Mommy, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt her. God, what did I do? Sammy's parents were indescribable; was Kelly's parents that way too? I'm…" She pounded on the mattress. "I want revenge. I want that guy to feel the same pain Sammy feels now, but…" From angry to tears, she stopped. "Did her friends and family want revenge on me?"

"It'll.."

Renesmee began to rock back and forth uncontrollably. "No, it won't be okay. This has changed Sammy's life forever. I changed Kelly's. I can't run away from this. I have to go back and tell her at least sorry."

I kissed her forehead. "And you'll find the right words to say when you get back."

"Mom?"

"Yes?"

"Don't you want to hunt down the guy who did this to her? Like Aunt Rose?"

I squeezed her. "If we hunted down every person who wronged us, the human race would be decimated. Yes, I'm angry, too, but I learned my lesson about revenge when Jessica died."

"But the guy went to jail…"

"With a couple reminders why." The man who killed Jessica and her fiancé had heel holes in each hand and a broken foot. "I could have killed him, but I didn't. I knew your granddad would be terrified if he knew his daughter killed a man, especially with him knowing the secret. I feared that he would see me and the rest of the family as monsters. I didn't want that for me and especially you. I didn't want to take away two people he loved by revenge.

"Your grandpa was proud though. He was proud that I had enough control to let the human justice system and a little Karma do the rest of the work. It was the first time…he accepted that I was going to be fine. Ness, you have to let the natural course of events to happen. I do believe things happen for reasons, and we have to let that happen. If not, we become slaves to our ego and every human will look like a double cheese burger." Renesmee smiled. I readjusted the covers. "Now, get some more sleep, I'll be here the entire time, so you'll be safe."

She settled down and closed her eyes. I kissed her forehead, "Honey, you've never been a monster. You've been my life preserver since you've been born."


	15. Husky

May 29, 2013

While in the car, Renesmee grabbed her husky stuffed animal and clutched to it. She didn't want to talk; her eyes were still a little red from this morning. I wish I could take her pain away, but it's something no one can do. When Edward left at first, I fell into a hole that no one could pull me out of. I actually made a conscious decision to pull out of it. First, it was for the adrenaline rush to see Edward, but then, it became a curiosity about Jacob's world. Renesmee will know when and how.

Parking the car at the hospital, Renesmee still held the stuffed animal. Neither Mom nor I would argue with that. For the entire trip, she's been able to be a kid and part of being a kid is having something to cling to. Instead of Jacob, she found something to coddle her for now. I smiled to myself thinking: if that's all it took, Edward would buy a thousand husky stuffed animals or even alive huskies to keep Renesmee away from Jacob for now.

Through the maze of halls and coded signs, we finally arrived at Sammy's room. Sammy's bed had been elevated enough to see she was awake. Ness ran to her side. "SAMMY!"

She stopped when she wanted to hug her, but Samantha nodded, "It's okay to hug me." In which, Nessie did.

Steve and Carol approached us. Carol hugged and kissed us on the cheeks. "We're so glad you're here. Samantha has been asking for the last couple of hours."

"The police have a suspect in custody. I guess he's a regular at the joint Sammy was at and a criminal record. That, at least, is good news." Steve rubbed his head. "However, the doctor had told Sammy the news this morning, and she freaked out. They had to sedate her to calm her down." I glanced to Ness and Sammy who talked quietly and intently. Sammy was telling Ness all about it, and Nessie's face mirrored it.

Renee and I said our hellos, but both of us knew we were here for Renesmee. We spent most of the time with the parents and when they left, Renee and I read books or played cards. Nessie didn't leave Sammy's side once. Edward and I are still figuring out our little hybrid, but she must have a strong stomach and bladder to last eight hours.

Renee and I decided this morning to get back on the road, so we packed the car as Ness was sleeping. I didn't care what time we left, but for appearances, we had to leave. I walked into the hospital room where Sammy and Nessie were giggling over something. "Ness?"

"Yeah?"

"It's time to say goodbye for now. We have to go home."

She nodded and pulled something from the bottom of the bed, her husky. "Sammy, I have something for you."

"Ness, you don't have to get me anything…"

"It's actually for both of us. This husky has a collar."

"It's your name.."

"On the back is my cell phone number, so whenever either of us get lonely or want to talk, all we have to do is call. I have your cell phone number." She retrieved her phone from her bag and saved the number. "We can even talk by computer…"

"How can I say thank you…"

"By getting well, taking care of yourself, and I'll see you in a couple of months. I'm not having one of my best friends miss my birthday party." Nessie hugged Sammy for a long time, and she left Sammy with a smile on.

If vampires could cry, I'd be bawling by now.


	16. Atlanta Decision

May 30, 2013

The remaining time on the road was, well, boring, in comparison to what the rest of the trip was. We arrived in Florida in the early afternoon, and Renee insisted that Renesmee and I should spend at least the night.

Renesmee spent most of the day in the ocean and beach. We helped her make sand castles and find shells in the sand. It was lucky that today had been an overcast day, and I could be with both my mother and daughter outside. This was important for all of us, because Renee won't see us until Nessie's birthday in September.

As the skies darken, we unloaded and separated the car. From the disaster in North Carolina, clothes, souvenirs, and the such were strewn everywhere. Renee and Nessie chose which t-shirts to wear and which ones would be on the quilts. I honestly didn't care; this was their project—and something that Renesmee has to remember for a long time.

In her lifetime, Charlie and Renee will be memories and images in her head. Renesmee has talked to Jacob about that. How can someone so important go away so quickly? With time not being an issue anymore, I worry about that too. My memories after the change are glued into my head, but my biggest fear is that I won't remember the eighteen human years that I spent with my parents and friends and the experiences I lived through. I've tried to talk to Carlisle or Edward, but it just doesn't come out. I guess I'm afraid to hear the truth.

While Nessie slept, I called Edward. "Hey."

"Hey. Is Nessie asleep?"

"Yeah, just passed out a couple of minutes ago."

"So, you're going to leave tomorrow?"

"That's my intention. I don't know what my mother has in mind. She desperately wants to take Ness to Disney World—you know, to preserve every moment of her life. I hate lying to her."

"That was Charlie's request. I think he's handled this well for a human. You'll be back Wednesday or Thursday? "

"It depends on how many stops we make. I think I'm going north first and then west, so Nessie will be able to see more."

"Nessie has learned so much, huh?"

"She gave up her sweatshirt, ID bracelet, and her husky to a stranger, who needed her."

"Maybe this is what Alice saw in her vision."

"Perhaps. Please come home soon, love."

He seemed a little on edge. "I know you love me all, but what is the true reason you want me home earlier?"

"Jacob. Jacob has made the main house—his house. He's here all the time. He even slept in Nessie's room, which was kind of creepy, but with this imprint thing, I don't know what's normal."

"And think, Nessie thought Jake was going to forget her. I'll be home as soon as I can to help you with the wolf."

Early the next morning, we were ready to leave for home. Renee must have taken a hundred pictures before we left, but that's Renee. As we traveled I-75, Ness was texting Sammy and posting things on her Facebook. They were playing Words With Friends, and they were content talking to each other like typical teenagers.

As we reached Macon, we stopped for lunch. She was bouncy as if she was nervous about something, and she really didn't eat much. Normally, she eats like a horse. "Ness?"

Through her burger, she mumbled, "Yeah?"

"You have something to ask me?"

Ness put the burger down and wiped her fingers. "Mom, I have to make things right."

"As.."

"The girl I attacked, Kelly. I have to talk to her and apologize at least. I can't take her blaming herself for something I did. It's not fair. This guilt has created nightmares and look, I hardly ate anything on the plate."

"So, what do you want to do?"

"We'll be in Atlanta soon, right?"

"A few hours, yes."

"Could I…I..fly…home? Dad or Jacob can pick me up, and they can help me reach her."

"I have no problems with that. I understand what you're feeling, but.." I took out my cell, "you have to get okayed by Dad."  
"I knew you were going to say that. Darn." She grabbed the phone and dialed Edward's phone. "Daddy?" She used _**Daddy**_ when she wanted something. "I would like to fly home to apologize to the girl attacked." Nessie listened to her father. "We're in Macon." She listened more. "Okay, thank you, Dad. I love you." Edward is such a sucker for his daughter.

"And?"

"Dad's going to look for a flight from Atlanta to Seattle this afternoon or tonight. He said that he and Jake would pick me up and stay in Seattle for the night. He seemed kinda happy that I was coming home."

"He misses you." No, honey, he's sick of Jacob.

Edward called within the hour for a 7:15 flight through American from Atlanta to Seattle. It was only one, and we would have some time to sightsee. Renesmee wanted to go to the Aquarium and the Zoo, but we only had time for one, so she picked the Georgia Aquarium.

The biggest attraction was Dolphin Tales, and Nessie had to see the dolphins jump in the air. In Washington, we do not see dolphins, so this was her opportunity to see them in person. Then, Frogs, A Chorus of Colors was next. I didn't know Renesmee liked frogs; I always thought they were slimy and gooey. We spent until five o'clock before I hurried her to the airport.

Before entering the terminal, we made a small carry-on for her. There were books, her journal, and her phone, plus a change of outfit when she meets the woman. I was able to go through all the checkpoints, because I was her guardian, and she was a minor being unaccompanied.

At last, the flight was announced and boarding began. When her number came up, she gathered her belongings. "Now, call or text Dad when you land, so he'll know what terminal to meet you." I hugged her. "I will see you in a couple of days."

"Mom, are you okay?"

I squeezed her. "I'm perfectly fine. Now, go." She and her bag went into the tunnel to take her seat. I watched the plane approach the strip and shoot straight into the sky. I closed my eyes. "Take care of my baby up there."


	17. June (Nessie)

June 1, 2013

Mom sits next to me at the terminal before my flight is called. Holding her hand, I show her that I'm going to be fine. She's like every mother, worried.

The big surprise was Dad's permission to go in the first place. He's been so overprotective, and something tells me that Jacob has been annoying him as usual, and Dad just needs peace.

Flight 7942 was announced through the terminal. Mom gathered my belongings and placed them into my carry-on bag. I didn't really have to worry about clothes or anything, because Dad had said he would bring a suitcase to the airport.

I sent my final text to Sammy before take-off. In the last couple of days, I finally feel like I have a best friend. I have family and the Quileute were family too, so I couldn't really talk about what I wanted without Dad reading my thoughts, Alice having premonitions, or Mom shielding me with every danger possible. I know they love me, but it can be too much.

I want to invite Sammy to Forks for my birthday in a couple of months, but I have to not talk to my father, but him, my mother, and Jacob. I know the Cullen-Quileute secret is important; it almost got us killed by Volturi. I want someone to talk to someone who doesn't care. Grandpa knows, and Mom and I desperately wanted to tell Grandma, but I need to talk to someone my own age.

I know the relationship changes as I stay twenty-one or so while Samantha gets older. It could cause a riff in our friendship, and the danger of exposure could happen. If I tell her without telling my parents, I would be a pile of ashes by morning. And Jacob….He would smack me with that wolf tail of his and knock me silly.

Once we take off, we are given permission to have electronics on. I opened my I-Pad, found the Wi-Fi connection, and clicked on my e-mail. From take-off to now, I've had fifteen e-mails from Sammy, Mom, Dad, and Jacob. I wasn't really traveling alone—the whole family was watching.

As we landed in Seattle, I stretched my arms and loaded my bag again. I didn't have any passenger next to me—probably Dad planned that way, so my bag was with me the entire time.

My Dad's sparkling eyes are what I see first. His smile is so perfect, and he is a pretty perfect dad. I jump into Jacob's arms, and he squeezes me until almost I can't breathe.

He started to swing me, "I've missed you so much! It was so long!" Something in his voice made me wonder what has happened in the last couple of weeks when I was gone.

Then, we met eye to eye. I melted in his eyes. What happened to the brother figure that I knew? When did he turn so hot suddenly? Dad cleared his voice. Darn, he read my thoughts.

At a local hotel, Dad had already registered and a large suitcase was on one of the beds. I hadn't had a shower in almost three days—the last shower I took was at the hospital. I just want to be clean.

The suitcase had two pairs of new jeans, two t-shirts, a skirt, and underwear. This was not packed by Dad or Jacob. Alice packed this suitcase—woman to woman. Grabbing a pair of jeans and shirt, I trudged into the bathroom.

I started the water to get it at the right temperature, but I heard talking between Jacob and Dad. It wasn't light conversation either; it was low and serious. Great, I have officially freaked out my very overprotective father. Mom told me how they were when they were fighting over her—how ridiculous it looked, but it's someone they both loved—one as a daughter and two the love of his life. So…we're on the fifth floor with a psycho vampire and aggravated werewolf in a confided space—just waiting for the bomb to drop.

After the shower, Dad took us to dinner at a Brazilian Steakhouse. I was starved, and Jacob's appetite can be a black hole, so Dad knew where to take us. Jacob went to the buffet, and Dad played with his steak.

"Renesmee?"

"Yeah, Dad?"

"I know you're beginning to have different feelings about Jacob, and the imprinting is part of this, too, but Mom, Jacob, and I want you to have a childhood that you'll remember. You will live a long life with Jacob, but you won't be a teenager for long. It's so precious to have. I want you to have a life that Mom and I didn't have."

"Daddy, I know. I think the trip taught me how important it is to live life one day at a time. If Mom didn't smell the blood, Sammy wouldn't have survived. I couldn't believe how she was able to focus on Sammy and not on the puddles of blood that surrounded us."

"Mom is very special as you are."

"I'm not ready to be a Mom. She was so collected and so was Grandma. If not for my ability, I would have panicked. I don't want to be a grown up yet. Dad?"

"Yes?"

"I can do this, right? Apologizing to Kelly and face her…I mean to tell her I…attacked her. I've had more intense nightmares about it after being with Sammy. I just didn't think…all I thought about was myself."

"Honey, we learn lessons in life. I think you needed this trip to understand and gained some empathy for Kelly. I'm sorry it's such a painful lesson to learn. Jake and I will be there backing you up, but I think you won't need us at all. It will come pretty smoothly, and after the weight is lifted, you will gain more perspective."

"And Sammy?"

"What about her?"

"I would like to invite her to Forks. She's my first friend—you know, girlfriend my age that isn't family or a Quileute."

"I don't see a problem, but I do sense a however…"

"I wish she could know about me. Friends don't lie to each other."

Dad raised his head and looked to the ceiling. "I understand. When I started to talk to your Mom, it was awkward, and I felt I couldn't be myself. After she knew, I could act normally. After I broke up with her, I had to accept the fact we could be exposed. After our "Romeo and Juliet" moment, I didn't care who knew—Bella was dead and I would join her hopefully." He stared in my eyes. "Can we wait a little? I know it will be hard, but it's a decision the family has to make."

"I so wanted to tell Grandma…"

"I know, sweetie, but we promised Grandpa to never tell her no matter what. I think she would do fine, but I think Charlie doesn't want to worry her."

"This hybrid thing sucks."

Dad giggled. "I understand completely."

June 2, 2013

I practiced the speech a thousand times, and I've calculated every possibility—from acceptance to arrest, from passive to aggressive. This decision I've made is beginning to kick me in the butt—with iron heels.

The four hour drive to Spokane wasn't long. There is enough to see, and besides, it's almost two hours to Seattle from home—I knew how to wait. Dad was driving with Jacob at shotgun, while I sent texts to Sammy and Mom.

Mom was in Chicago. She had stopped to take some pictures and collect some shirts for our collection. There's a huge part of me that wished I waited until Mom was here, but it's too late now.

To the east of downtown, we arrived at a two story green house in the middle of a typical neighborhood. I didn't live in any typical anything, so this was a fresh eye to something new for me. Jacob had called early, and he set up this meeting and got directions from Kelly. He told me not to worry, but this…has all the elements of a major disaster.

Dad opened the door for me. "Honey, you don't have to do this, today."

"What then? Wait, until I'm grown, and then it's pointless? I'm scared, but I have to do this."

"I'm proud of you whether you go into this house or not."

I pulled myself out of the backseat. "Love you, Dad."

Jake was four feet ahead of me, so he was the first to ring the doorbell and meet the family. When I reached the door, Jacob was talking to an older woman, probably Kelly's mother. She was a slightly curvy blonde woman, and her face was round with dimples. She welcomed us in and a man in his late forties shook Jacob's and Edward's hands.

"Kelly! Your friend, Jacob, is here with his friends."

From the top of the stairs, I heard, "Be down in a minute!"

The host and hostess sat us down and brought in a pitcher of lemonade and a plate of cookies. I giggle every time my Dad tries to be sneaky about taking food or drink and not eating or drinking any of it; it's like hiding your vegetables under the tablecloth. I couldn't eat or drink even if I wanted to—my nerves were too exposed to put liquid or solids in this system.

Kelly in a Washington sweatshirt and jeans hurried down the stairs and gave Jacob a huge hug. I wasn't jealous anymore, but it did feel a little uncomfortable. "So, what's up?"

"This is Edward, my friend's boyfriend, and her little sister, Renesmee."

"Yeah, you were visiting WU awhile ago. Hey."

"Actually if we could, we would like to talk you in private."

"Yeah, how about the basement?"

The basement was segmented in different areas—a pool table area in one corner, a foosball table in another, and an elaborate bar with a fifty foot television screen taking the other sides.

Kelly settled in a leather seat, while Dad and Jacob perched on the opposite sides of the sofa I placed myself. I felt their stares on the back of my neck.

"Ah, Kelly…I'm the one who needs to talk to you."

"Why?"

"I need to apologize for what I did to you."

She chuckled. "What on earth do you think you did to me?"

I have passed the point of no return. "The night you hurt yourself by the fountain—I did that."

"Honey, you didn't do anything. It's my own fault…end of the year…crazy party…too many shots… and too high of heels. I tripped and plastered myself near the fountain. Nobody had anything control over that."

"But I did. I told a big lie and ran away from our hotel. I overheard you talking to Jacob and then you kissed him. I…got jealous…I hadn't seen Jacob with a girl before, and it was a shock to my system, because he and I are so close. Then I followed you to the fountain and attacked you. I tripped you, so you'd fall, but you bumped your head on the pavement—you were bleeding. I didn't mean to break your nose and bruise your arms."

Something in Kelly's face told me that she believed me. She took a deep breath and reclined ever so gently on the back of the chair. "I know what I did was wrong, and I should have come earlier, but I didn't. I actually had to see another person suffer to realize what I had done and ask for forgiveness."

"Jacob?" Kelly looked to him who kneeled next to her. "You know she didn't have to come here. I feel responsible also. I was too drunk to know better and you kept telling me there was someone special back home. I didn't listen."

"Kelly, I'm—"

"Actually, it did me a favor. After the hospital visit, I realized my drinking had placed me into some dangerous situations, and not just this one. I've skated so close to harm that I was daring God or Karma to put me in my place. Renes..?"

"Nessie."

"Nessie, thank you for apologizing. I know how difficult it was for you. I guess it's you or your family that I have to thank for my hospital bills and school bills. You didn't have to do it…"

"My Dad wanted to make sure that our family took responsibility for my actions," Dad smiled, because Kelly had no clue that Dad was right beside me. "I was in North Carolina a few days ago. My Mom and I found a girl in the field; she was attacked while I was gone; she had been mutilated. I never want to be or claimed to be that kind of monster."

Kelly nodded, but she was sad. "I..guess…you learned a lesson." She stood and stared at Jacob. "I appreciate you coming to see me, but you need to go. I would like to forget this, okay?"

Jacob nodded and Dad pulled my coat on. "We'll leave." We climbed up the stairs and walked out of the house. I just cost Jacob a good friend.

It's the first thing that I can say that it's my fault. If not for Mom and Dad covering for me, I might have killed her due to jealously. I didn't think I could have this much rage and turn into something so monstrous. I've been told that I act like a typical teenage girl, but this showed my vampire side—and I didn't like it.

The drive back to Forks would take several hours, and Jacob crashed in the back seat. I didn't want to say much, so I leaned my head against the window making steam on the glass.

"What are you thinking about, Loch?" Dad interrupted my pity party. Loch was Dad's pet name for me. Mom hated it. It just reinforced how she found out about Jacob imprinting on me, but to Dad, it was quite funny to him. It was the first time he saw Mom kicked Jacob's butt with her new abilities.

"Jacob's going to hate me."

"Why?"

"He lost a good friend."

Dad's amber eyes caught mine. "It's going to sting a little-can't deny that, but he would lose a million friends over you."

"Is that really FAIR? I should have known better… and now, he'll never let me go to his school again. He'll have to hire a protective detail to keep tabs on me." My head began to bounce off the window, but not hard enough to shatter it. "You were right….about me going too soon. I wasn't mental prepared for everything I was going to see and feel. I've been so used to having my family around to guard me, and I've never thought how it would be on the outside."

"The outside world for us can be difficult. We can't be in the same location for a long period of time. Now, it's worse, because it's not just us, it's Grandpa and Grandma and the Quileute. Your Mom and I knew this was going to be dicey for all of us, but we knew we could handle it.

"Most of us were frozen in our teenage years, and we'll never leave adolescence. We're not sure how you'll look when you're grown up. Emmett made the off-handed comment that it could be a point that Jake and you would look like our parents—very odd, but true. The thing is we still learn how to deal with world—even though we're not completely human. You will have to cope with some tough situations in the future, and our family will be there for you."

"So, in other words, I'll screw up again."

"Yes. We all do."

"And Jake?"

Dad tends to grimace thinking about Jacob and me. He thought his problems were over when Mom and he got married, but now, Jacob will end up his son-in-law someday—not the greatest subjects to talk about to Dad—and Mom has a chuckle over this when Dad's not around. They're even on the inside jokes.

Dad rolled his eyes. "Jacob will always be here."

I couldn't stop giggling.


	18. Bella and Her Cheese Fries

June 2nd

It's been awhile since I've written in my journal, but here, it's quiet. All the stars are out so brightly-so clear you can see the Milky Way and planets for this time of year. It's been almost twelve hours that I put Ness on a plane to her father. Edward hasn't called. This worries me, because he always calls me—just to see what I've been doing. It's been better since the transformation, because now I can defend and protect myself. Edward still is very overprotective of his family and wants every one safe.

Going north, I've picked up a shirt or some other piece of clothing for Renesmee from each state I've gone through—nothing for her quilt, but something she can wear. I have stuff from Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. I'm in the vast nothingness of North Dakota in the middle of the night to hunt and to take a break from driving. I drove the car to a busy truck stop, hunted for awhile, and sat down for food to make an appearance.

I've ordered bacon cheese fries and a chocolate milkshake. Now, even though I know what will happen next, there are some human food choices that cannot be ignored, especially when you're on vacation. Vacation is where you escape to a place where you can relax, de-stress, do whatever you want to do, and eat whatever you want, because frankly, calories do not exist during vacation. That's what Mom has said on every vacation, even this one, so Mommy is always right, right? Yes, it's an excuse to eat every fried food, have a second or third helping, and guarantee dessert with every meal, but vacations need to recharge you and be ready to take on the world until the next vacation. I know this really doesn't apply to me anymore, but being human hasn't been that long, and I want to keep those human experiences and emotions before they disappear in a hundred years.

The phone rang right when the milkshake arrived—all drippy with chocolate syrup and topped with mounds of whipped cream. Damn. Let's see….my husband or the milkshake? Tough choice. I picked up the phone on the third ring.

"Hey."

"Hey."

"Where are you?"

"I'm practically in the middle of Nowhere, North Dakota at a gas station devouring cheesy fries and gulping an icy milkshake."

His sarcastic tone can sometimes cut with a knife. "Really?"

"I've gotta have fun, too."

"Other than the fries and the shake, have you hunted?"

"Did it before hand. Huge elk, why?"

"You just don't have an emergency kit left. I wanted to make sure you were feeding…"

I finally realized what he was doing—stalling. "Okay, Cullen, what do you really want to talk about?" His silence spoke for him. "Is this about Ness? How did it go?"

"Well," I heard Edward reclining in one of the leather chairs, "it didn't go the way Renesmee planned, but it's resolved. I'm proud of her; she didn't want to have that guilt."

"After seeing Sammy that night, I believe she finally got it. Edward, it was awful, but Ness was a trooper. She used her abilities to call her down."

"Wow, our three and a half has grown a lot in the past weeks."

I giggled. "Yeah, I know. Ness wants Sammy to come to Forks for her birthday."

"I know. She told me, too."

"And?"

"Other than you and your Dad, we've haven't had humans close to us. I am afraid of exposure, but not enough to deny Nessie's request."

"Renesmee wants to tell her the truth. She feels as though she can't have a best friend if she doesn't reveal who she really is."

"That decision will be made as a family. Carlisle has the most experience with these issues, and he'll have a solution. I know Sammy is her human friend, and she's half-human…"

"She wants to be a normal kid…"

"But she's not. What happens when she finds out? Will she be scared and tell everyone? In twenty years, Renesmee will look like she does now and Sammy will be in her late thirties. How is Sammy going to deal with that? That could cause some resentment, and we could be still exposed. My biggest fear for Ness is leaving Forks, because we have to. For this one friend, she could lose her grandfather, grandmother, the pack, and everything that has been normal for her."

"Jacob?"

"He and Ness will probably be in the same boat in fifty years; they'll look ageless while his pack chooses to stop phasing and grow old. Jacob has gone through hell in the past weeks, but he can't tell Ness—it would break her heart."

"So the talk was not good…"

"Jacob lost a good friend. She was someone he could talk to or hang out with—without the relationship. She might have wanted more, but she still wanted his friendship. The girl felt betrayed by not only Jacob but the rest of us involved. She thought, `Another rich kid let off easy,' and `they're not going to buy me.' There was nothing to do besides taking it. We left and Jacob collapsed in the back seat, while Ness was crying in the passenger seat."

"Oh, Edward…"

"Come home as soon as you can, and we figure something out, okay?"

"I should be home tomorrow evening."

"Be safe, love."

So, my three and half year old daughter has kicked the hornet's nest, great.


	19. Branching Out (Nessie)

June 2, 2013

Usually the wind through the trees relaxes me, but tonight, a branch must have hit the window hard enough for me to wake. I jumped up and bounced on my bed. I made a 360 to see what really had caused me to wake, but I stopped after I noticed Jacob sleeping on my couch.

It's the standard-sized sofa, but Jacob still couldn't fit it. The left arm was parallel to edge of the sofa, and the other flat against the carpet. His right leg was bent in a 90 degree angle, and the other was straight, but his ankle and foot were off the sofa. Honestly, it looked as if he fell into the couch and stayed that way.

I thought, `Why is Jacob here?' We returned to Forks around eight-thirty, and I was so groggy I didn't know if I could get to bed. Jacob walked with me to my bedroom in the main house and tucked me in. He left afterwards. `When did he get here?"

I knew he wasn't comfortable, and he needed a blanket. I pulled the extra blanket out of the closet and laid the fuzzy purple cover on Jacob. He snored louder than he did five minutes ago. He was dead to the world. I untied both of his boots and gently pulled the left boot, but the right was more difficult. I actually had to lift his leg to slip off the heavy boot.

I didn't how much time I knelt next to him. I wondered about what he was dreaming about. His facial features were softer and relaxed. I guess I know why Dad thought watching Mom or me sleep was intriguing to him. We were lost in a world in which we work out our issues and rejuvenate for the next day. I could watch Jacob sleep all night.

How would it feel waking up to his face every morning? Would my shoulder be on his, or would he curl next to me? I'm not sure of this love thing and definitely not about the imprinting thing either, but my feelings toward Jacob have changed over the past month or so. I was terrified.

I crawled back to bed and hugged my pillow as I watched him sleep. Jacob suddenly jerked out of the sofa, and then he saw how I was sitting there. "Ness? Why are you awake?"

"There was a branch outside that racked the window, and I couldn't get back to sleep." He glanced at the purple blanket and his socked feet. "You didn't look relaxed and warm, so I pulled off your boots and covered you with a blanket."

He grabbed the blanket. "Which muppet gave its life, so it could keep you warm?"

I smiled. "I think it's Animal's fur. I guess it's appropriate for this house."

He returned the smile as sat back on the sofa. "Whatcha thinking?"

"About how I've been so selfish and put my family through so much unneeded drama. I know this is the whole grown up thing, but I should have known better."

He patted the sofa. "Come here." We always had our chats, but it didn't feel as if he was talking to his sister anymore. "Nez, you need to know that your mother is the queen of drama. Just to keep her alive all these years was a joint effort between the Cullens and the Quiluete. We didn't always agree, but Bella's safety was the number one priority, and she took so many risks that it still is surprising she's here today."

"You mean being with my Dad?"

"At first, but there were nomad vampires who wanted Bella for a snack and the Cullens had to drive all the way to Phoenix to find her and kill one of them. Then, she gets bloodied on her birthday and your Uncle Jasper almost killed her. Your Dad was trying to do the noble thing and leave, but it made it worse. She sank into a deep depression and then wanted to do dangerous stunts—like cliff diving?"

"Mom did cliff diving _as a human_?"

"For a little luck and me being there, she didn't drown. Then, your Dad thought your Mom was dead, and he didn't want to be here anymore. He went to Italy to ask the Volturi to end his life. With his life on the line and against my wishes,your Mom wrote Charlie a note, grabbed her bags, and left for Italy. By the skin of her teeth, she was able to leave Volterra human. Charlie freaked every time Bella left: Phoenix, Italy, even her honeymoon, and those promises we made to him are so important. She had an entire newborn army after her—all about revenge. You…are not even close to the stress level Bella brought with her."

"Is it wrong?"

"No, Honey, everything happens for a reason. Bella moved to Forks to fall in love with Edward and create an unbreakable bond with me. We ended the strife with our two tribes, and we fought the good fight. They had to have you, because I needed to imprint on you. It was always you. I can't regret any decisions I've made, because it would have changed things and I wouldn't be with you right now." He hugged my shoulder and began to rock. My head laid his shoulder and felt my eyes getting heavier and heavier.

I whispered, "Jake?"

"Will you ever kiss me?"

"I kiss you every day," he countered.

"You know what I mean…"

He placed his head on mine. "You've grown up so fast. You're not the child I saw a few years back, and you are developing into a beautiful woman. I know your Dad wants as much time with you while he can before he gives you away, but you're not really a kid anymore. I've given great thought about this." I stared into his brown eyes anticipating his next words. "Your birthday is in three months—your sweet sixteen party—you will get your first grown up kiss that night."

"Really?"

"Really. Now, I'm going to re-tuck you into bed, and I'm going downstairs to hang out with your Dad. Your Mom should be home tomorrow night." He fluffed my pillows as I lie down. Then, he covered me with my sheets and comforter AND the purple throw. "Who got you this God-ugly blanket in the first place?"

"Grandma Renee."

Jacob knew my grandmother's taste. "Never mind." He kissed me on the cheek.

"Are you coming back?"

"Always. I love you, Renesmee."

My head was spinning and gurgled, "Lo..ve..yoo."

A birthday kiss….I curled around one of my pillows and drifted to sleep with a mile long smile. No branches are going to wake me again…well, tonight.


	20. Let Go and Move On

In the stillness and the shadows of mountains, I couldn't appreciate the majesty before me. I worried about Renesmee and how much a friend could throw a major monkey wrench into the system.

I can't deny Ness of friends. She only knows really family either Cullen or Quileute, and all of our vampire friends other than the Denali coven have disappeared into their selective territories. It's bad enough being a teenager, but to handle everything, especially the intense drama of a vampire hybrid, is impossible to do alone.

I turned off the radio, selected the phone feature, and said, "Carlisle." The speakers began to ring once, then twice, and Carlisle's voice answered.

"Hello, Bella."

"Hi, Carlisle. Is it okay we talk in private?"

"Sure." Within seconds, I heard Carlisle's door close. Whenever Carlisle is in his office, he is not to be bothered, so it was the perfect time and place to talk. "So, what can I do for you?"

"I talked to Edward about Nessie wanting to bring her new friend to Forks for her birthday."

"Edward has also told me that."

"I really want Nessie to have human friends, but I know how difficult it is. Have you ever had a human friend who knew?"

"There are a few who are very observant like yourself that tend to guess, but we've had the habit to not stay long enough for quaintances to change into bonding friendships. One man knew…Union Colonel David Mitchell….

_**Even though we were in war only a year, it felt like ten. Numbers of Union and Confederate wounded and dead were in the thousands, and there wasn't a sign of hope. I arrived in Washington, D.C. September first, received my orders, and began a thirty mile trek to General McClellan's troops on the eighth. Within twenty four hours, the Union was headed northwest to Sharpsburg, Maryland, where the General believed Confederate soldiers were resting. **_

_** At dawn on September 17**__**th**__**, 1862, the sounds of explosions, screams, and musket fire made me even cover my ears. I hadn't heard those sounds since the Revolutionary War, but weapons were more advanced and accuracy had increased. Sulfur spit into the air, and I began to smell the dead. The casualties started to come faster and faster.**_

_** I had asked that no one was needed for surgery and I worked more effectively without disruption. That was so I could work as fast as I could to save more lives than human speed. Colonel Mitchell agreed to my request as the first twenty rushed in.**_

_** In a forty-eight hour pace, I had seen a thousand soldiers. The injured were cared for by other soldiers, and the dead were being buried as fast as they could. We realized the graves we were making would not hold all the dead and we would have to leave dead soldiers without a proper burial. That night, word was passed that we were to leave tomorrow morning to push the Confederates south into deeper Virginia. **_

_** That night as the men slept, I was near the fire, so I could read, but the colonel handed me a cup of coffee and sat next to me on the long log. **_

_** "I must say you are one phenomenal surgeon, Doc."**_

_** "Thank you, Colonel."**_

_** "It's David." I nodded in agreement. "You were in that tent for over forty-eight hours without a break, sleep, food, or fresh air. I know adrenaline does increase your abilities, but your hands were moving at a quick pace."**_

_** "You watched me work?"**_

_** "I wondered how you were able to get through so many patients in such little time. Other Docs would see maybe a hundred in forty-eight hours. One thing I do know is you're not human."**_

_** What could I say? "David, you of Christian faith?"**_

_** "I am a God-fearing Baptist, and I believe in the supernatural, because there is so much evil in the world and something is responsible for it. Last night, while eating, I noticed people on the battlefield. I thought they were volunteers, but they knelt down near the face and then jump to the next. Were they drinking blood?" I nodded. "You, one of those creatures?"**_

_** "I help people, and I will not end a human's life." I stared at the colonel's face. "David, I am not here to harm the men. I've been in many battles, and I have aided the wounded for many years."**_

_** "I believe you. If you were one of them, you would have feasted the first day."**_

_** "David, I need you to keep…"**_

_** "Doc, never in a million years."**_

_** The war ended, and I started west in order to be with the Denalis. The Colonel never spoke of it again, and as we separated, I mentioned I was going to travel to St. Louis and serve as a town doctor. In 1872, I received a telegram from Mack Valley, California stating the Colonel had been shot and needed medical assistance. I hopped the next train for California.**_

_** Little less than a week, I arrived in town and looked up the town doctor. The Colonel was lying on the bed with a belly wound. He was sweating profusely on his pale face. He was dying. Next to him was a young lady and the local Sheriff, Deke.**_

_** The woman glanced over to me. "He waited for you to come."**_

_** "What happened?"**_

_** " An Outlaw named the Blue Devil shot him in the gullet when Mr. Mitchell refused to give him his horse." The sheriff sighed, "Devil has killed three within the last week."**_

_** "Doc?" It was not even a whisper.**_

_** I knelt by his bed. "David, I'm here."**_

_** His eyes were wide and milky. "I will miss you, my friend. Don't… give…up…on…the…hu-" He lunged for one more breath of air and died. A decorated soldier died so young and so frivolously, and it wasn't fair. The Sheriff left, and as much as I would have loved to be part of the manhunt, I had to let the Sheriff do his job.**_

__"Bella, friends are more important than exposure. Renesmee's development is unprecedented, and she needs all the support she can get. I understand Edward's worry, and I'm not making a decision now. It should be all of us, including Ness. Let's see how September goes and move from there."

"What was David trying to say before he died?"

"Don't give up on the human race. He always believed as long as I am on this earth I will protect human life from evil. He didn't want me to be vengeful or stop working because of his death. It was his way of saying, `Let go and move on."

"How long did it take to accept his death?"

"Depends on the day. I thought about changing him to save him, but I knew that was not what he wanted. It was selfish on my part to even think of it. The human race and our family thrive on our relationships with others and how we deal with diversity." There was a slight pause. "Do you believe in serendipity?"

"Things fall in place….meant to be? I do."

"If you do, Renesmee was destined to meet Sammy and vice versa. Other than Alice, we don't know why, but it will see when the future unfolds."

I felt somewhat relieved. Maybe I was getting too anxious and too scared to let Ness have a life. Now, I have to let go and move on.__


	21. The Kiss

June 3rd

As the wheels touched the driveway, I almost jumped out of the car before stopping—home finally. Edward and Jacob must have heard it, too, because they were both standing in the doorway. Before I could move, Edward had my door open and scooped me into his arms.

He kissed me. "I'm so glad you're home."

I returned the kiss. "Me, too."

Our reunion was interrupted as Jake and Nessie were right beside us. "MOMMY!" She lunged and grabbed me as hard as she could. Thank God I could take it. "I have so much to tell you." She pulled me in the house and bounced uncontrollably as if she had springs on her feet.

"You're so happy. I haven't seen that in a while."

Edward and Jacob carried all the suitcases and packages from the car. "So, Ness, have you made plans with Sammy to come for your birthday?"

"Dad, really?! You're going to let me?"

"But our true identities including the Quileute are off limits. We are weighing on the course of caution. "

I added, "And Carlisle's right, it will be a decision we will make as a family."

Edward seemed surprised. "Bella, when did you talk to Carlisle?"

"Last night."

Nessie was on cloud nine. "I'm going to Skype her now." She hugged Edward, then me, and last, Jake. She disappeared within seconds.

"Why is she so happy, Edward?" and knew both were involved, "Jacob?"

"Bells, I don't know if you want to hear it."

Edward's arms crossed. "And let me be tortured alone? I don't think so."

"Bells, I…"

"SPILL!"

Jacob's face mirrored his face when he told me he had imprinted on her. My blood began to bubble—theoretically. "I told Ness that…"Jacob took a deep breath. "on her sixteenth birthday, I would give her first adult kiss."

My eyes felt as if they were about to fly out of my head. "WHAT?!"

"I told you—about you not knowing—but she was guilty for all she had done, especially to me."

"AND?!"

"She asked me to kiss her then. I said NO, Bells." He began to back up toward the door. "No, Bells." I decreased the distance between us. "Give me some credit. You'd think I want to be thrown out of the house literally again. I'm not an idiot." I finally was toe to toe with Jacob. He might have been much taller than I, but I didn't care. "Bella, with all she's been through and the maturity, in September, she will be almost fully grown."

"BUT NOT NOW! Seven years is what Nahuel had said. SEVEN! You can't take her away-that's all the time Edward and me have with Renesmee as a child." I wanted to punch him—hard, but this ordeal had changed Ness and I didn't really see the selfishness a typical teenager has. Sammy had changed her, made her decided if she wanted to be kid or an adult. Jacob was right, but it didn't help me right now. I plunked into one of the sofas. Suddenly, I was overcome with despair, and there was a expanding hole in my heart. The pain came.

Jake eased next me and grabbed her hand. "Bella, I'm not marrying her now. That won't happen until I graduate from college. She will be here with you. Even then, she's not leaving. I would never take Renesmee away from you and Edward. I love this family too much."

Edward stood above me. He may not be able to read my thoughts, but I knew we had the same worry. "How about…."

"Not until we decide—the four of us." Jacob knew the same worry. "My guess is after we're married like you. I think that tradition should continue."

Edward smiled. He actually smiled. "That—we can deal with. We just want her to continue her experiences as a teenager." Edward's values were important to him, and Jacob knew that.

"Completely understanding." I looked into his eyes. "Am I out of the Wolfhouse?"

I knew he was joking, but I smacked him in the back of the head, "Not Yet."


	22. Esme and Her Invisible Elevator

September 3rd, 2013

Jacob and Seth had already left for Seattle, and Jake wanted to orientate Seth on the main places of the campus, including places where he could phase and not have to worry about exposure. Ever since the Cullens and Quileutes were partners, everyone was a brother or a sister, and Jake and Seth were tight not because of school, but Seth was the first to risk his life for Renesmee and me.

That meant a lot to Edward. Edward made sure Seth had the best of everything while in Seattle. By Edward's recent purchases, he, Jake, and Seth created the ultimate man cave. I foresee several trips to Seattle to hang out with Seth, and actually, it's been the first fresh breath he's had in a while. Along with Nessie, Edward looked forward to talking to Seth via text, phone, or Skype every day. Ironically, there was a sense of homesickness with both of them and Edward was HERE.

It's been crazy the past couple months to prepare for Sammy's arrival. Esme insisted we adapt the house for her special needs. With that, she kicked everyone out except for Carlisle to remodel the house. This is Esme's expertise, and she loved the idea that her ideas and designs could make a big difference in this teen's life.

Therefore, we decided to take Renesmee, Charlie, and Sue to Disney World, Sea World, and Universal Studios. Charlie and Sue could only be there for two weeks, and that was the opportunity to spend time with Ness at the parks during the day time and hook up with us later in the evening. By the time Nessie took Charlie to seven parks almost consecutively, Charlie and Sue were ready to pass out at the end of the day or spend time with each other at night-alone; however, I've never seen Charlie be so relaxed as he was in Florida.

The next two weeks, Renee and Phil met up with us. That was a little trickier than Charlie and Sue. Renesmee wanted to spend more time with Grandma and Phil on her own, and they saved the awkward circumstances. For Renee, it was the opportunity to catch up with her granddaughter about Sammy and other loose ends. We weren't sure how long we would see Renee and Phil on a regular basis. Charlie and Sue always will be around, but Renee, it could be five years—could be ten, but each moment I wanted Renesmee to savor each moment with both grandparents.

The vacation was the best relaxer for me, too. I know I've been overprotective and a little dramatic when it comes with Renesmee and Jacob's relationship. Renee, Charlie and Sue can tell me what normally happens with teenagers, but the imprint process screws up the typical progression. Renee and Charlie had eighteen years to get used to the idea of me growing up and marrying early; Edward and I have only six to seven years to adapt—which can explain for our behavior from time to time.

Late August we returned to Forks and returned to the main house, in which appeared as though nothing had been accomplished. As we made our first steps into the house, the changes were apparent. In the greeting room, a glass elevator grew from the ground and through all the levels of the house. You wouldn't believe that it was just put in weeks ago, but that's Esme's gift.

Renesmee jumped into Carlisle's arms as Esme hugged and kissed Edward and me. Carlisle lifted Renesmee to the ceiling. "So, how was the trip?"

"Awesome! Mom and Dad took us to Cirque du Soleil and the acrobats were so cool! Grandpa, Sue, and I toured Kennedy Space Center and then went to the beach."

Carlisle smiled. "I am so glad you had a great time."

Esme had a hard time keeping her composure down; she was that excited. "You want to see the changes?"

Edward grinned, "Lead the way."

"The elevator has a five-inch thickness to accommodate the weight of the wheel chair as other equipment needed. Normally we would just carry what we needed, but I want Sammy to have as much human independence as she can." She pushed the UP button, and the door opened. It reminded me of the glass elevator in _Charlie and the Chocolate Factory_ in which Willy Wonka took Charlie and his Grandfather out of the factory, but it blended so well with the environment, it was practically invisible.

We reached the main floor to the main bathroom; it was wall-to-wall grey marble. It was larger with rails, a lower sink, and walk-in shower with a seat and handle sprayer. "The other bathroom on this level is of normal capacity, but it gives her the ability to use the bathroom and return to the party or the conversation without disruption." In order to all these changes, she must have had workers here twenty-four hours to complete the job before we returned to Forks.

Our tour continued to the third floor. We stopped at Ness's room; however, it was connected to another room. "This adjoining door can be opened, so Ness and Sammy can have comfort and be able to talk to each other in their beds. The bathroom in Sammy's room has the same accommodations as the one downstairs." Alice had a hand in the decorating. She packed each of the closets with clothes, purses, and tons of accessories. New I-Pads and large bookcases filled with teen fiction and magazines filled with the "it" boy group all over it. This is NOT Esme; this is Alice's work. The moment I thought of Alice, she came out of her room.

"Alice!" Renesmee hugged.

"Hi! How do you like your new rooms?"

"They're…they're..awesome, Alice." She kissed her cheek and hugged Esme. "These are the most prettiest rooms I've ever seen." She had tears in her eyes. She choked up, "Thank you for doing this for Sammy and me."

"Sammy is family," Carlisle spoke before Esme could. "We make sure our family can be happy in our home." I hugged Carlisle and Esme.

"I'm going to call her right now," and left us all in the hallway.

Carlisle made sure Ness was gone and his expression changed. Esme and Alice shared concerned glances. "There are some things we need to discuss about Sammy's condition."

As much as I wanted to live on this high, I knew we were headed for the den and puncture all the happiness I felt now.


	23. Precautions

The eight of us went into Carlisle's den. It was as large as the kitchen, so there was plenty of room for us. Carlisle sat on the top of his desk. "Samantha's parents and doctors have contacted me in regards to her condition. They have given me permission to share this with you." Carlisle grabbed the manila folder. "These are the pictures from the rape kit."

He passed the pictures to us. They were horrible and graphic. Rose's gasp the shock us out of the pictures. "You'll see Samantha has torn labia, lacerations in the vaginal canal, and punctures in the uterine wall. The cuts at the top severed one of her fallopian tubes, and doctors removed both the tube and the ovary.

"Three weeks ago, the doctors performed reconstruction surgery on her pelvis area. The pictures now are the finished surgery on the area." It looked like the Bride of Frankenstein—large stitches and dozens of staples. Horrifying is an understatement.

I had a hard time getting words out, "Let me guess-Renesmee has no idea."

"Right now, no. Before Jacob left, I talked to him, so he is aware and promised he wouldn't tell her how bad it is."

Jasper was shaking. I'm not sure if it was the sight of blood or rage. "Carlisle, how bad is it?"

Carlisle paused and glanced to Esme. She was his strength. "Samantha is constant pain. She has a special wheel chair that helps her get up and provide comfort. This ordeal has caused depression, anxiety, and violent panic attacks. Sam has a patient-controlled analgesia that she can control when the pain is unbearable. We have been given permission to inject her with Demerol and Morphine in case of an attack of some sort." Edward and Emmett had their heads down. They are strong, but not that strong. Rose rubbed Emmett's back to try to relax, while I held Edward's hand. "As well as an internal medicine physician, the gynecologist, the physical therapist, psychologist, and therapist are in her life. She's been miserable."

Rose worried, "Will she be able to have children in the future?" Having children is a trigger for Rose. Even having Renesmee in her life, Rose would have loved having children. Now, she feared another woman will be like her—sterile.

Carlisle sighed, "I don't know. Even with one ovary and one fallopian tube removed, it will be difficult for her to conceive. Now with the reconstruction surgery and the scar tissue, it will be even worse."

"Alice?" Rose looked to her for answers.

"I can't see her future right now. It is wrapped tight around Renesmee's. Her hybrid make-up is crossing Sam's and Nessie's wires." Rose put her head in her hands, so she could hide her emotions. This will be difficult for Rose; it always is difficult for her.

Esme continued, "Her only hope is Renesmee and the trip to Washington. She's been looking forward to this since her last surgery. This trip is an escape for Sam—away from doctors and therapists, but her parents and doctors knew we needed to be informed. Other than Jake, we've talked to Charlie and Sue. They have welcomed the girls anywhere they would like to go and take them out for dinner a few times to avoid awkward meals and give us time to hunt.

Esme insisted, "We need you to feed at your fullest, because we need to be here for Samantha and Renesmee. There will be a time when Ness will be asking questions, but it is unknown whom she will go to."

"Typical teenagers do not go to their parents for any question about sex," Carlisle replied, "and I want us to be prepared to answer her questions. " Carlisle was right on the money; I never wanted to talk to my Dad about sex—even now. The thought gives me shivers up and down my spine.

"Rose," Esme waited for Rose to lift her head, "Samantha has been through a similar situation, but worse. I think it would be beneficial to talk to Samantha to reassure her and comfort her." Rose didn't respond.

Esme knelt down by Rose. "Honey, I know you're very upset right now. We love you, and we are always here if you need to talk. I want you to do what you're comfortable doing." Rose held Esme's hand, and they excused themselves and left the room.

Carlisle took a couple of deep breaths to calm himself down. He was there when Rose was attacked. It was his decision to change her. He knew what she would be losing changing her into a vampire. He was able to continue after a moment or two. He knew at any time Nessie will be searching for us, "Tomorrow morning we will be taking two different vehicles. Edward and Emmett, you will drive the truck to pick up her supplies and bags. Emmett, we need to set the illusion that we can't pick her up without struggle. You already have the appearance of being strong; therefore, you can pick up Sam without question." Emmett nodded. "Bella, Esme, Renesmee, Sam, and I will be in the second car. Rose, Alice and Jasper will stay here and make sure everything is ready for her such as food and other products for her." Carlisle peered at the door. "With Rose, she may not have the strength to deal with all this, so she may leave in order to heal."

Edward suggested, "Rose and Emmett can have our house. It may give them the privacy they may need."

Emmett bumped knuckles with him. "Thanks, Dude."

"When she arrives, most likely, Renesmee will be giving the grand tour of the house. Samantha will be tired and require a nap before going any further. We'll stay in the house tomorrow and let her adjust to her new environment."

"And the check-up?"

Right, Edward reads minds. "I will need to perform a pelvic exam to determine any additional medical attention she may need. Esme has volunteered to be in the room with her."

"What if Ness want to come in?"

"We can't say no, or she'll be suspicious. Afterward, one of us could have to answer her questions. The more time Nessie doesn't know the better Samantha's health will be. Sam is very self-conscience and Nessie doesn't coddle her and treats her as if nothing happened. I'm afraid after she knows she'll walk on eggshells, which could be detrimental for Sammy. From there, we take it day by day. Questions?" Silence. "Good. This could be stressful for us; however, I believe if we are prepared, we won't have to worry as much."

At that point, we could hear Renesmee jump off her bed, and we exited the den, so she wouldn't realize we were together. Ness sprinted downstairs, entered the kitchen, and grabbed a red delicious. "I just talked to Sammy. She is so excited coming tomorrow."

Edward and I shared the same concerned glances alike to Esme and Alice. I knew Edward's words were carefully planned. "That's great, honey." We still were lost for words.


	24. Hesitant

September 4, 2013

After the horror story we heard yesterday, we didn't think about changing our appearances to look younger or older—we just didn't care. The worst part for all of us was keeping it from Renesmee; her gift makes her very aware, and secrets just don't last long with her.

Taking Edward's suggestion, Emmett and Rose stayed overnight at the cottage, and Emmett was the only one who came to the main house before we left. We figured that this could be too much for her, and we were afraid she could attack and kill someone on accident, so we left her be.

With the boys driving, it didn't take long to get to the airport. Edward had set up a private plane to pick Sammy up in Richmond and fly her here with all of her equipment and other needs. On the west side of the airport, a private tarmac was set aside for these kinds of flights, so we could drive our vehicles right to the plane.

Renesmee was giddy. She was bouncing as the door open, and Sammy was glided to the elevator to the ground. Sam had her curly long brown hair twisted up in a clip with jeans and a North Carolina blue sweatshirt. Nessie ran to her and hugged her. "I'm so glad you're here. It's been like forever since I've seen you."

No, she skyped her last night, but you know. "I've been looking forward to this for a long time, too." Samantha maneuvered her chair toward the group of us.

"Samantha, this is part of my family. This is Carlisle."

"You're the doctor, right?"

He smiled. "Yes, I am."

She reached in her side bag. "Mom and Dad wanted you to have this." It was another manila folder—I hoped it wasn't more bad news.

"And his wife, Esme."

"We have the house already for you. I hope you'll enjoy yourself here."

Esme's smile is contagious, and Samantha mirrored it. "Thank you."

I hugged Samantha lightly. "Hey, Sammy."

"Bella! How are you?"

"Great…" Really, well, you know.

"And this is her husband, Edward." I know she was awkward saying our first names instead of Mom and Dad. Knowing Renesmee, the truth will come out about us being her parents."

"Married?" Samantha frowned at Ness.

"Sorry, Sammy, every guy in the house is married."

"Darn, no luck whatsoever." She tried to smile. I could tell she was putting up a front for us, but I did notice her clicking her medicine device. She was in pain.

"Hey," Emmett had emptied the airplane of its contents and shook Sam's hand, "Emmett."

"Hi. Well, we're ready to go." Edward opened the back door, and Emmett picked Sam up and placed her in the car. "You, okay?"

"Yeah, you're really strong. You didn't even flinch."

"Madam, you are light as a feather." Actually Emmett was telling the truth. Sammy blushed and whispered to Ness, "Married, too?"

"Yep."

Carlisle addressed the guys. "We'll meet you at the house." Edward and Emmett jumped in the van. Before driving, Carlisle questioned, " Samantha, is there anything we need to pick up for you before then?"

"No, I'm good."

Sam and Ness held hands, and the rest of us pretended not to listen. "So, how was your trip?"

"I don't remember much. I slept most of the way here."

"How come?"

"I…I..wanted to make sure that I was…rested…up for my arrival." You don't need Edward's mind reading abilities to know she was not telling the exact truth, but she was sparing Nessie's feelings and keeping the illusion that she was fine.

As the time passed, it was the constant chatter we've heard for now months, but they were happy. We reached the main house, and already Edward, Emmett, Jasper, and Alice had the van emptied and inside the house. Samantha didn't notice, so we didn't have to address it.

Again, Emmett picked Sam and transferred her to her chair. Esme had added a ramp in front of the house for easy access. "Ness, it's beautiful. It's like a glass mansion."

"Esme arranged our rooms, so we can talk to each other before we go to bed. It's awesome." Esme beamed. That was the best compliment she has received in a long time from someone who had no clue who she was.

Entering the house, the girls giggled at the clear elevator and how cool it was. "Let me give you the grand tour, but first you have to meet some more people."

Alice handed her some flowers. "I'm Alice. These are for your room."

"Daisies, my favorite!" I know, shocker.

"And her husband, Jasper."

Jasper kissed her hand. "Pleasure, Miss."

From the kitchen stood Rose. "Over there is Rosalie." Rose waved and Sam returned it.

Emmett nudged Sam, "She's busy making you lunch. She'll come around later."

"So, Ness, you want to show Sammy the house as we finish lunch?" Edward tried to close the distance between the awkwardness.

"Come on!" Ness pushed the elevator button, and they were shot up to the third floor.

Carlisle nodded. "That went well, I think." He and Esme walked into his office, while Jasper and Alice trekked outside. Whenever humans eat, Alice likes to distract Jasper from it, and they usually hunt during the time. Edward and I walked into the kitchen where Rose was taking out a pizza.

Rose sliced the pizza into eighths. "The pizza is ready to go, and the salad's made. I've set up the dining room for the girls." Edward reached in the frig for the milk, and I grabbed the glasses.

I hugged Rose. "Thank you. I..we weren't going to force anything on you."

"I know. I just want to help." In the past five years, Rose has changed a lot. She's shown her compassionate side and gives light to what she would have been as a mother. When I met her, I would have NEVER thought Rose would be like this, EVER, but Renesmee's birth had melted Rose's heart.

She washed her hands and dried them on a towel at the same time Emmett reached around her. "Hey, Babe," and kissed her cheek.

"Hey." They left the room quietly. Edward and I were left staring at each other.

"So?"

"I guess we get the girls?" Edward stepped out of the kitchen and yelled, "Ness, Sam, lunch!"

"Okay, Da-Edward."

Called it.


	25. Exam

After the girls had lunch, they plopped in front of the television and watched a movie. It started with a lot of talk and then about halfway, silence. When we checked up on them, they were asleep—Ness's head on Samantha's shoulder. Edward and I smiled, because we learned teens get super-excited and then pass out once the tension is gone. It's almost the feeling after all the presents have been opened on Christmas Day, and all the toys have been played with.

Once the channels changed, we knew someone was awake. Both Ness and Sam were flipping between Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, and MTV. Carlisle approached the girls. "Samantha?"

"Yeah?"

"Your parents and doctors want me to give you an exam to make sure you're healing properly."

"I know."

"We would like to do it today…"

"Now's fine—just to get over with it."

Ness touched her hair. "You want me to go with you."

"Ne—ss, I don't know if you really want to be there."

"Why?"

"You might be uncomfortable with the procedure."

"I can handle it. I did before, right?"

Sam nodded. "You did, but at any time, it's gets bad for you, you can leave. I won't be mad. I think maybe Bella should be with us, too. She'll a little older than you…"

Renesmee looked up at me, and I nodded. "Okay."

Edward helped Carlisle place Sam in her chair. Before long, Sam was lying down on the same table I gave birth to Nessie. Every time I look it, I am rushed with a wave of memories. Carlisle had unhooked her personal medicine machine and attached an IV instead.

"What are you doing, Carlisle?"

"Ness, we have to make sure Samantha's comfortable with this procedure. We can give her medicine if she's in pain."

Sammy squeezed her hand. "It's okay, Ness. I'm used to this." I stood five feet aware from Renesmee just in case.

"Sam, we're going to give you the locals, okay? It will be a pinch or two." Samantha tried to relax on the table, and Ness still held her hand. As the locals were inserted, Sam's hands squeezed Ness's hands, and Ness stared at me. I know she was confused. Everything was happening too fast for her, but she didn't want to let Sam down.

"Samantha, I'm going to ask you if you can feel where I'm probing, okay?" After several pricks, Samantha couldn't feel her pelvic area.

Renesmee placed her hand on Samantha's cheek, so she could calm her down with her ability, but Samantha's eyes closed, and her head began to shake. "No, No, No."

"Sammy, it's okay.."

"Stop it! It hurts!" Renesmee let go of her immediately. "DON'T! STOP!" The exam halted, but Samantha was still in her nightmare. "Get off of me! HELP!"

Carlisle grabbed a syringe and pushed the contents in the IV. Sam screamed less and less, and then, she fell asleep.

I held onto Renesmee as she was crying on my shoulder. She was shaking and sobbed over and over, "What did I do, Mommy? What did I do wrong?"

I made eye contact with Carlisle, and I knew the talk was inevitable. Edward met me at the door, and we headed for a place to talk.

…..

We held Nessie for a while to settle her down. She had done a lot of growing up in the past three months, but she is still a child in some sense. "Baby?"

"What did I do wrong, Mom? What did I show her that was wrong?"

"Honey, you didn't do anything wrong." Edward squeezed his daughter. "Samantha's still not over what happened to her."

A tear trickled down her cheek. "What?"

I placed my chin on her head. "Samantha was physically hurt as well as emotionally. The man who did this caused a lot of damage to her reproductive system." The sex talk was done a while ago, but never in this way. "He used a glass bottle and cut her pelvis area. The doctors had to remove an ovary and a fallopian tube as well as reconstruction surgery."

"And that thing that was attached to her?"

Edward rubbed her back. "It's a machine that allows Sam to administrate medicine when she feels pain. Unfortunately, it doesn't take away the panic attacks or the flashbacks."

"Flashbacks?"

"A flashback sends the person back to the moment the event happened, and she feels, sees, and hears nothing but that moment of time." Edward wiped her tears with a handkerchief. "The technical term is called post-traumatic stress disorder. The doctors saw patterns after soldiers would come back from war, and they would have awful flashbacks, suicidal tendencies, horrible depression, and heightened anxieties. After researching and studying soldiers, they realized it was a psychological disorder, and they required treatment."

"Do they get better?"

"I've seen soldiers return from every 20th and 21st century war, and it depended on what they saw. As the technology became more advanced, the more cases of PTSD showed up. It really became an issue during the Vietnam War when soldiers would return home and they didn't get a warm welcome home. Some were treated so poorly that now they couldn't deal with the war and home. Many soldiers didn't leave hell. They were still in it.

"After Vietnam, it became clear that the country did not treat their soldiers who lost limbs and friends in war with the proper respect, especially how Vietnam used the draft to build their armies. Now, there are places and people to go to in order to start breaking down what they saw in combat and dealing with it. Some still have violent flashbacks, and with therapy and time, they get better; however, some never get better."

Renesmee's voice cracked, "Will Sammy?"

"Over time." I kissed her head as I rocked her. "This trip was a way to get better. She wanted to spend time with you and forget what happened to her. You have been her savior since the beginning."

"What happens now?"

"Well, first let her sleep, and you can talk to her, but you can't treat her as if she's different from the moment you met her."

"How? I don't know…"

"You know how Grandma treats you…"

"You mean being the poster child for the Make a Wish Foundation?"

"Yeah…"

"Do you like it?"

"No, I don't need the extra treatment. If she could carry me, she would. I'd wish she just treat me…" Suddenly knowledge crept in. "I have more in common with Sam than I thought."

We nodded. Edward held her chin. "If you treat her like a China doll, she will not like it and most likely leave. This is the escape and not a reminder of what happened. I know it's going to take time, but I think you'll find the strength and the courage. This is the time where you can talk about your own issues."

"I can't lie to her. I won't do that to her."

"Dad doesn't mean to lie to her, but you can tell the truth without adding hybrid and vampire to it. I think if you shared a little about yourself, you'll be closer than you've ever thought."

Renesmee kissed both of us on the cheek. "I'm going to get ready for bed."

"We'll be up in a few minutes." Nessie walked the stairs in a daze.

Edward and I sat without closing Nessie's void. We didn't say much. When we did close the distance between us, Rose came from the hallway. "Hey."

Rose eased herself in the chair next to us. "I couldn't help overhearing the conversation. Those attacks Sam's having are alike my newborn year. The moment kept repeating itself over and over and the helplessness I felt. Even killing didn't take the pain away." I placed my hand on her knee. "She feels like no one understands her, and no one has ever felt the way she does. She's afraid to talk, because it makes her feel vulnerable."

Edward nodded. "What do you suggest?"

"Ness will have to talk to her, and I agree she will have to tell Sam about herself. That may help strengthen their friendship, but it's not going to help Sam with her condition. A therapist and a shrink have given her nothing but mumbo jumbo and not real help. If you would like," Rose paused to gather her own courage, "I wouldn't mind talking to her about what happened to me."

I hugged her hard, and my voice was mumbled with her sweater. "Are you sure?"

"I think it would be good for me, too. I don't know when I'd approach her, but I'll find the right time."

Edward stood and hugged his sister. "I can't thank you enough…"

"You gave me a beautiful niece. That's all I ever wanted."


	26. Moonlight

I woke up suddenly, and I sat up looking at the moonlight coming through my window. Through the shared door, Samantha was asleep with an IV connected to her. I wanted to be near her in case she needed someone, so I grabbed "the God-awful" purple blanket and my pillow, and lay on the couch inside her room.

She appeared peaceful, but after talking to Mom and Dad, she wasn't peaceful—she was in pain all the time. I was so clueless. I didn't know the signs, or did I just ignore them? I can't imagine going through this pain and the excruciating recall over and over again.

I often wondered how Carlisle chose who he would turn and not turn. Was it a feeling? Was it the damage? In four hundred years, how was my family chosen? Alice has said it was destiny that brought our family together. Even Jake has said that Mom had to meet Dad, so they could make me and allow him to imprint on me.

I remember that night as if it was yesterday. Mom had found her and had the strength not to kill Samantha. I thought my Mom was cool before. Now, she's a superhero. Everything was on fast forward, and somehow Mom and Grandma were able to get her help before she bled to death. When I calmed Samantha down, I didn't even think about it. I just did it. Dad has the same feeling when he reads minds. He doesn't have to concentrate at all; it's just there.

I lean my head back against the couch and stared at the ceiling. I practically have all the time in the world, and my friend could have been killed at nineteen. It's bad enough to know she'll age normally, while I will stay the same, and I worry when I'll lose her as a friend. When will I have to say goodbye to her and disappear? My family and Jake is one thing, but this is the first person I've felt as though it didn't matter who I am and what my genetic makeup is. I feel selfish now. I'm worried again about myself and not the person ten feet away from me.

Pulling my head forward I noticed Samantha staring at me. "Hey."

Her response was clear as if she woke up hours ago. "Hey."

"I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Nez, I'm fine."

I stood. "No, you're not. You're miserable. You're in pain." I knelt by her bed. "I know I freaked out in Carlisle's office…"

"A lot of people would…"

"But I can handle it." I straightened a piece of hair back. "I want to help, but you have to trust me."

She held my hand. "I do trust you. It's just…I don't want to burden you with this. "

"You can't do this alone. No one can."

"I know that now. You and your family have been so welcoming. I forget sometimes that I'm stuck in a wheel chair. That is one of the most awesome feelings in the world, and it's because of you. I was afraid that you wouldn't talk to me if I told you the entire truth. I didn't want to scare you."

I smiled. "You are far down on the list of things that scare me." The Volturi killing my family, yeah, that's scary. Not seeing Jacob again, that's terrifying, but not this. "I just want you to know I'm here."

One single tear trickled down her cheek. "Thank… you." She took a deep breath. "I often wondered why it had to happen to me. What did I do so wrong to deserve this? My therapist says this is normal of rape victims, but it doesn't change how I feel. The main reason I didn't tell you the whole thing is because I…caused…it…It was…my..own fault."

"No one asks to get raped."

Now she was crying. "I know. I know, but I should have known better. " I grabbed the tissue box and pulled one out for her. "It was the night before I would go home after college. A couple friends and I had stopped for a drink and hang out before we scattered for the summer. Later in the evening, this guy bought me a drink and we started talking. I thought, hey, this guy is nice. We talked for an hour or two, and he suggested we hang out outside. I never thought…OH GOD!

"Then, he opened the hatch to his truck, and we sat on the edge. He kissed me, and I saw where it was going. I never wanted to sleep with him. I knew this was not the time. When he started unbuttoning my shirt, I told him NO, and I was going back inside. With even knowing, he slapped me in the face hard and told me that I was a stupid-ass whore.

"He dragged me by the hair to where you found me. He shattered the beer bottle on the pavement, and he had it at my throat. He raped me, and then I was slapped again and suddenly I felt extreme pain. I first thought it was my period, but the pain grew as I saw him using it. I couldn't get up. I tried. I really tried, but I was losing a lot of blood and I was on the edge of passing out. I didn't know when he left. I stared at the stars wondering if this was the last thing I'd see before I died. I didn't know how much time it was between him and you helping me.

"When you got there, I thought that at least someone found me, so my parents would be able to bury me properly. I felt your hand on my cheek and I swore I had actually died. I felt at peace. There was sunlight…blue skies. This had to be Heaven. Then, I was in an ambulance and going to the hospital with you, the angel who'd saved me."

"I didn't do it alone. Mo-Bella and Grandma were there too. They had cool heads about it."

"What's with Edward, Bella, and you? I caught you calling them `Mom and Dad."

My turn.


	27. TruthKinda (Nessie)

How do I start this? Once upon a time a human fell in love with a vampire…

I criss-crossed my legs on the floor. "I didn't tell you everything, either. I guess I had the same fear that you had. I'm a freak of nature."

"How are you a freak?"

"Sam, I grow and mature faster than normal. This weekend, I'll be actually four instead of sixteen."

Sam didn't say anything, but she smiled. "That connects everything."

"What does?"

"You look just like Bella and Edward. They are your parents."

"Yeah, and everyone else is an aunt or uncle, except Carlisle and Esme—they are my grandparents due to the foster system. Carlisle adopted my Dad, my Aunt Rosalie, and my Aunt Alice when they were teenagers. Now, he's adopted all of them, except for Mom. Renee is my natural grandmother, while my Grandpa Charlie is my natural granddad."

"How.. how did this happen?" Now, I have to avoid how but what happened…maybe later, I can explain the hybrid thing.

"Carlisle's not completely sure of the rate of the growth, but it started when I was born. By the time I was one, I appeared to look like a five or six year old. Then, it went from there." I smirked, "The last year was hell for my parents. I went from twelve to almost sixteen in twelve months. I was a brat—selfish, irritable, violent, and quick tempered due to the most stupidest things. I feared that I had lost Jake forever."

"Why?"

"During one of my tantrums, I hurt one of his friends on campus and put her in the hospital." I looked down, waiting for the rejection or the silence.

"Nez, it's okay. You can tell me."

"Really?" Sam nodded. "My growth made me experience adolescence so rapidly that I didn't think of the repercussions. When Jake left for college, I was a basket case. This imprinting thing can make you insane at times. My parents knew if I had seen him right after my third birthday I would not be able to handle it. The tantrums got worse, and my father took my phone and unhinged my door. I had to earn to see Jake, and this late May and June, I was able to go see him.

"Everything was great. I felt I was finally mature enough to handle everything with Jake, but I was wrong. Jake had a lab partner who was cute and paid a lot of attention to him. I was infuriated, and one night, I lied to my parents and left for the campus. Then, I jumped off the edge when she kissed Jake—she was drunk, but I thought that no one should touch Jacob, ever.

"I walked behind her as she stumbled back to her dorm room, and I…attacked her. I tripped her and dragged her to the grass. I don't know how many punches I gave her, and in a matter of seconds, Dad had me four feet in the air.

"My parents feared exposure and what was going to happen to me, so they sent me and Mom to Florida to be with my Grandmother, while Dad and Jake dealt with the crime scene. And as a spoiled rich kid, I thought only about myself—worrying about how Jake would see me. I never thought about the girl. In my mind, she was collateral damage."

"Something changed, right?"

"I met you. In one moment, I was not the spoiled brat, but I was genuinely concerned about someone else. My ability must have been on auto-pilot, because I had no clue about what I was doing. My concern was making you calm and praying you would get help immediately. The stupid tantrums looked childish in comparison to what we were dealing with now, and I felt guilty—not only for what I did to my parents, but what I did to the girl at Washington U.

"When we returned, my grandmother wanted to take me to Disney World and give her granddaughter the special treatment, because of "my condition." I hated that, because I am healthy. Carlisle believes he might have found the solution, but Grandma wouldn't understand." Again, Grandma knowing her daughter is a vampire and her granddaughter is half human and half vampire could go bad, really bad. "At least, my Grandpa treats me as who I am not like I'm a baby." How Grandpa Charlie handled all this is beyond me. Now, he didn't even question anything supernatural. "I didn't want to go to Disney World—I didn't earn it or deserve it; I wanted to go back to Seattle and apologize to the girl I attacked and accept whatever the consequences were going to be. Even though my parents questioned my decision and wanted to shelter me, they did allow me to fly back up and go to Spokane to talk to her."

"What happened?"

"Apology accepted, but in the same breath, Jake lost a good friend."

"But you did the right thing—doesn't that count for something?"

"Yeah, Jake has told me to forget about it, and it's over, but I'm still struggling with this…"

She sat up and leaned against the wall. "Maybe your…our experiences needed to happen."

I joined her on the bed and she returned the tissue. Now, I was crying, "I don't see how."

"Neither of us wants to return back to those moments, but we wouldn't be sitting here right now, if it didn't happen. I didn't know what a true friendship was until I met you…" She nudged me, "Warts and all." I snickered. "We're not perfect, and if we focus what we have now, I think the memories may become less and less."

"It's not going to happen tomorrow…"

Patting her pelvis, Sam cringed, "No, definitely not tomorrow or next week, but it will someday."

"And what happens if one of us looks like a grandmother while the other is still young?"

"We'll rack up on Senior Citizen discounts and handicapped spaces." Her giggle made me giggle. Deep inside, I wasn't talking about me getting old, it was her. I had to have faith everything will fall into place. I don't have to worry about that now. We hugged for a long time sealing our new found trust, and I jumped off the bed, grabbed a video, and plunked right beside her. We fell asleep before we saw the ending, and we didn't care.


	28. Pit-Bull (Rose)

September 8th, 2013

Every month we look forward to the Quileute bonfire. Yeah, even me, too. It actually helps with the monotony of endless days. Emmett and Jasper find new ways of messing with the pack, Alice loves talking to Charlie and Sue, and Bella and Edward usually oversea Renesmee's movements when Jacob is around. Seth, Leah, and Jacob won't be coming until this weekend for Nessie's birthday party.

I'll actually miss my sparring partner. He's always good for an insult or too. After Nessie's birth, I kinda like old Jake. He's like one of my brothers, but he's still the one who loves making fun of his sister. His real sister imprinted years ago, and she lost that sibling rivalry and the fancy comebacks. Now, with Jake and Seth both gone, there's an empty void in our normal monthly events.

The combined bonfires started when the vampires and the werewolves worked together to protect Renesmee from the Volturi. The boys got to share combat stories that they usually could never brag about, because everyone had already heard them. Now, with the pack, Jasper and Emmett had a whole new audience for their decades of battle stories—real or stretched.

It also covered for the monthly tribal council meeting. Many Quileute were in the dark about the pack and our identities, so with the extra commotion, they could speak freely and the others would see it as the elders just talking away. Now, almost four years later, the tribal council had new members to go with our changed look. Along with Billy and Sue (and Jacob if he was here), Charlie and Edward added to the pack. Getting the human and vampire viewpoints were important whenever strangers were around and determine if the humans, the pack, or our family was in danger.

With all of this stemming from Bella's and Edward's relationship, you'd think Bella would be at the council meetings, but she knew everyone there was looking for her and her family's best interests and rather hang out with the rest of us—especially this bonfire, Nessie had her new best friend, Samantha, and wanted to make sure Sam was comfortable in case she was in extreme pain.

I know Renesmee talked to Samantha after Sam's exam and smoothed things out, because they were back to their giggly selves. The wheel chair was invisible, and we were thrilled. Ness had to tell something about her, but she grazed the truth avoiding vampires and werewolves. Even with that in the past, I sensed she still felt uneasy, especially with all the boys around her. We repeatedly told her that there was nothing to fear, and this was the safest place in the world, but she was still apprehensive, and I was the only person who knew this fear personally.

Samantha was in a regular wheel chair bundled up in North Carolina blue and white sweatshirt and the fringed purple blanket Alice gave her a few years ago. It's ugly no matter who has it on, but "purple's the cool color and it matched her bedspread perfectly!" There are times I don't agree with Alice's taste in designing, but there is no argument with the psychic. In the late sixties, Alice flaunted about her premonitions, because Washington was the hippie dippie northwest capital. Alice and Emmett would hang out in communes for days and hear about the "peace hating government" who were "sending our men to a worthless war."

It was the first time we had different opinions about what was going on in the human world in the late sixties and early seventies. While Carlisle and Esme stayed neutral, Alice and Emmett would argue with Jasper and Edward about the war in general. The Civil War veteran and a wanna-be soldier in Edward hated how the troops were being treated by the press and the public. They even donated time and money for the incoming veterans. I agreed with them, because I had given so much of my time on the war effort in World War two, it wasn't fair that men who were forced to go to war didn't get the respect they deserved. By the eighties though, things were pretty back to normal and the human world wasn't important to us anymore.

However, on September 11th, 2001, we didn't have any arguments, because it felt like Pearl Harbor all over again. Bella's and Jake's memories are not as clear as ours, but those two events were as staggering as much as the Volturi invasion was. Wow, the difference between human and vampire conflicts was near to none—and that says a lot. The surge of Patriotism surged not only in the human world, but ours too. We wanted to get involved as much as every American was during that time and the first year afterwards, we were as visible to the human world as we were sixty years ago. To Ness and Sam, 9-11 was another event in the history book.

We were all on watch for Samantha, especially Esme, Bella, and me. Nessie wouldn't be able to solve some of Sam's needs, and one of us would have to handle it. After dinner, Samantha began to squirm in her seat and her face tensed up. Bella and Renesmee were there first. "You, okay?"

"No. I…need..an…injection, but I don't…want..to…do..it here. I get tired afterwards."

Bella grabbed her bag. "Sue and Charlie's is just down that path…"

Samantha couldn't respond. I met Bella, and instead of rolling her, we carried her, wheel chair and all, to the brown ranch at the fork of the path. She wouldn't have known or cared how she got there, but she was there. Bella opened the door, and I carried her to Seth's room. Samantha was sweating and sat up for her syringe, but lay down without grabbing it. I found the Demerol and injected into her unattached IV plug. Samantha's panting died down, and she was still unable to tell us if she was asleep or not.

Bella had rung out a washcloth with cold water, and she placed it on her forehead. Sam began to grumble. "Honey, is it better?"

Her voice was still strained, "Yeah, it just takes some time to get up to speed. Thank you, both, but I'll be here for a while. I don't want you missing the bonfire, and Ness is going to get worried."

"Bella, why don't you check on Nessie?" She nodded and left the house.

"Don't you like bonfires?"

"Sure…but Jacob isn't here for me to tease him and it takes the fun out of the whole thing." Sam smiled.

"I was afraid of this."

"What, sweetheart?"

"I'm burdening you guys."

I eased onto the bed. "You are not a burden to anyone. We're very fond of you, especially Bella and Ness."

"I haven't been difficult? Ness lost it when I had my procedure…"

"She's young, and she's never deal with this type of stress in her life. Overall, she's lived a sheltered life with not a lot of problems. She still doesn't know how much hatred and evil are in people."

"You sound as if you're talking from experience?"

"A few years back, I was assaulted too."

"YOU WERE?"

"I didn't know what was happening until it was over. My ex-fiancée and his buddies were drunk, and they gang-raped me. They took turns assaulting and kicking me in the face, the chest, and my abdomen to point I thought I was going to die on the street where they'd left me. Luckily, Carlisle was there and rescued me. He treated my injuries and adopted me into his family."

"What about your real family?"

"My family, especially my Mother, was tied with the high society, and everything they did was not for the good of others, it was to show off. The bastard was from a prominent family in the Hamptons, and our engagement was the envy of every socialite in New York. If I had been found by someone else and told what happened to me, I would have been ostracized from socialites and shunned by my own family. The only person who would have given a damn was my brother, John, but he wouldn't have been able to stop it."

"My parents have been good about it, but they are on my every step like how Ness feels about her grandmother in Florida. There's always a shadow around me that flinches when I do. I know they care, but it can be too much. I…can't stop thinking about the future."

"What about it, dear?"

"With my injuries, the doctor said that I may not be able to have kids. I'm an only child, so I could have ruined any chance to give my parents grandchildren. My parents stopped about the kid talk after the attack, because I think it was now a pipe dream."

"Until you know for sure, you need to have faith, but I understand. I cannot have children because of what happened to me, and I wanted children with Emmett. I felt I let him down too, but he said we could adopt…"

"It's not the same, is it?"

"Never is. When Renesmee was born, she filled the emptiness of my heart. I would do anything for her—still will, because she's my niece."

A tear dropped off her cheek. "Can I tell you a secret?"

I held her hand. "Of course."

"Before the attack, I…never..had…" and buried her face with her hands. Her nose started to clog and her eyes reddened. "I'm ruined. I have scars everywhere down there—like the Bride of Frankenstein. What guy would want me now? How would I even start dating again—when the attack will be fresh in my head, and I'll fear every guy is going to hurt me?"

"You'll know, Sweetheart. I did. When I met Emmett, it didn't matter what happened to me in the past, because he already loved me. He was patient and warm—listened every night I cried and cradled me until I could love him back as strongly as he did." She nodded, but she did not believe me. "Samantha, you can stay here as long as you like. Your room is your room—Esme made it just for you. If here is where you can heal, I think you'll have an argument from any one, because you are the only one who can tell what makes you feel better."

She sat up and hugged me. Tears were stained on her cheeks. She did not say anything about my body temperature, and I don't think she cared. I grabbed her chin. "Now, we have a couple days before Ness's party, and we need to take you girls for dresses."

"But I don't have the…"

"It's our treat. We want you to have a good time at Ness's party and feel like a million bucks. We'll get dresses and shoes and accessories. Alice will be thrilled; she loves dressing people and shopping. Tomorrow if you're up for it, we'll go to Port Angeles or Seattle and make it a girls' day. Bella's not the biggest shopper, but she'll have fun seeing you two having fun. By the way, Alice is very….stubborn in regards to fashion."

"How stubborn?"

"Normally the look is-wear it or die. Bella's outfits were picked for her the month before she got married and hung in their cottage's walk in closet. Bella decided it wasn't worth the fight."

"Rose?"

"Yes?"

"Will…I feel normal again?"

I hugged her. "Depends on what is normal, but you will overtime. I did." No, I didn't say it took seventy years, but I did—the moment I rescued Emmett from the bear.

She swung her legs to the floor and looked up to me. "Rose?"

"Hm?"

"Can I be your niece too?"

"`You already are." I know this was progress, but I feel the same pull I had with Bella and Renesmee. No one will ever hurt Samantha again, especially on my watch. Edward has called me a pit-bull, and I intend to be.


	29. Trees

September 11th, 2013

It's ironic how this date is now so important to Americans, because we were attacked, but it was one of the happiest days of my life. I'm not saying dying and turning into a vampire was joyful, but four years ago, it was day Renesmee was first in my arms, and now we were celebrating her sixteenth birthday. I'm beginning to understand what my parents went through when I married early and had Ness. It's a feeling of lost control and the desire to hold on for as long as you can.

A morning tradition in our house on September 11th is to honor those who died on that day before we celebrate Ness's birthday. Edward and I take Renesmee into the forest, and we plant a tree and a yellow ribbon in their memories. The previous three receive a brand new ribbon, and we pray and return to the house. Being immortal doesn't mean that I don't believe in God or I defied God by turning into a vampire. I believe things happen for reasons, and this was my intended destiny. I consider Edward's love and Renesmee a precious gift from above and make me thankful every day.

The Denalis arrived when we returned from the tree ceremony. This was the first birthday party they would attend, and it was one of the first tests to see if Garrett could handle human scent without attacking. Jasper and Emmett showed Garrett where the big prey was, and they were powering up for the party later on in the evening.

Renesmee opened the door and saw Samantha eating breakfast with Rosalie. They've become close, so I know Rose talked to her. Rose couldn't tell her everything, but Samantha looked comfortable being with Rose. It took me being pregnant to get this much attention from Rose, but no hard feelings.

Alice came in with a gazillion bags in her hands. She rushed them upstairs while the girls were busy, and she had this plastered smile on her face. What was she planning to do to those girls? "Now, eat up. We have a day of beauty for the two of you. Pedicure, manicure, and make-up and jewelry…"

I put my hands up. "Hey!" The girls giggled. "They're not getting married today!"

Alice put her hands on her hips. "Then, we would have started yesterday." The girls thought this was hysterical, but unfortunately, Alice was right—for me, I guess."

"Are you going to show me what my daughter is wearing tonight?"

"Nope. I want to do the full reveal when Charlie, Renee, and Sam's parents are here, so you and Edward will have to wait, too. I haven't thought about it while Edward's been around, and for the next couple of hours, the Denalis will keep him busy." Renesmee finished her toast and grabbed Sam's plate. She opened the dishwasher with the two plates and silverware. "Now, upstairs, you, two."

Renesmee whispered to Sam as she pushed her to the elevator, "Just do what she says."

"Why?"

"It's a lot worse when you don't. She has no problems nagging your ears off. I tend to be a little proactive with Alice." They smiled at each other as Renesmee pushed Sam through the doors.

"Now, if you would excuse me—Rose, we'll need you in a couple hours."

"Why does Rose get to see?" Now, I felt like a whiny brat.

"Because Sam requested Rose to do her hair….that's why." Alice disappeared up the stairs.

Rose just smiled. I glared at her, "You are just loving this, aren't you?"

"Actually. Yes."

…..

The boys returned an hour later with Garrett, Kate, and Tanya. Jasper and Emmett were giving the girls a hard time.

"They didn't do too bad this time…" Emmett snickered to Jasper and Garrett.

"I thought the bear was going to get Tanya for sure," Jasper mused.

Edward smiled, but knew Tanya's temper. "Guys, you know you're pissing her off, right?"

They both ignored him. "So, Garrett, how's your OLD lady?"

Kate turned around, and she warned, "Emmett, be careful."

"Just having fun—now, you're eight or nine HUNDRED years old?"

She just crossed her arms. "It will be eight hundred ninety-seven this year."

Emmett squished his face. "Oh," sounding just like Yoda," when nine hundred years you are, look as good, you will not." Kate walked to Emmett, and she blasted him through three trees. Through. We couldn't stop laughing, even Kate who still stood as she did-before making mulch out of the three redwoods.

Garrett reached for Kate and kissed her hard on the mouth and then yelled to Emmett who still was lying amongst the rubble. "I guess my OLD lady's doing fine, Emmett."

…..

Alice had to let the girls eat. Carmen was talking to Esme as she fixed lunch, and Eleazar was talking to Carlisle in the living room. The boys made up with Kate and Tanya and were playing pool downstairs. Edward stood on the balcony and I joined him. I placed my hands in his front pockets and kissed his shoulder. "You, okay?"

"Yeah. A lot of emotion today."

"I'm glad I'm not the only one."

He turned around and faced me. "Do you get the feeling like it's the beginning of the end?"

"In some ways. This last year….we've been through a lot, have we?"

"I was beginning to adapt to Ness being a teenager…"

"She'll be a teenager for another year or two."

"But she'll be…" and his voice dropped. He and I were the only people in the world who felt this. Many parents, even mine, said time flies, but it actually did. He knew Jacob was coming home tonight, and most likely, they will be an official couple. Edward had become fond of Jacob after the arrival of the Volturi, but he's still not ready to be buddy-buddy with him. Right now, he has hated Jacob more years than liking him, so it's still going to take time. "You think, next August, he'll ask her to marry him?"

"Why's that?"

"It was our argument with Charlie…you know, living in sin.."

"There are times I can't figure out Jake, but his heart is in the right place."

He hugged me. "There is no way I am going to have him call me Dad-ever."

"I would agree. If he calls me Mom, he'll go through more trees than Emmett did."

Edward changed his voice to his Yoda impression, "Learn you have."


	30. The Reveal

At six o'clock, I felt as if I had drunk an entire case of Red Bull. I was a basket case. Alice and Rose still were upstairs with the girls, and for the exception of the hair dryer, there was no noise. Finally Rose and Alice walked down.

"And?"

"They're waiting until all the parents are here. Don't worry. They're beautiful."

"I have no doubt. You guys do a great job. You should do weddings." Rose and Alice looked at each other. "I mean you organized my wedding in a month and this in a few days. Why waste your talent?"

Alice hugged me. "Thank you. It can't happen after a few clients when they realize we're not aging."

Esme now entered the conversation. "The attic is not really being used. I could design a wedding salon up there. It's quiet to work and make phone calls. You could travel to any destination, and we could help. The guys can do the heavy lifting; we can be models for hair, jewelry, and dresses. Alice, you'll be able to show what you love. We'll support you." Once Esme says it, it's done. Esme rarely gets into arguments or any type of conflicts, so when she speaks, everyone listens.

Alice and Rose approached Esme. Alice was stunned. "Really? You would do this for us."

"For my daughters, I would do anything that would make them happy."

Rose and Alice stared and giggled at each other. They hugged each other. "Bella, you're involved, too. It was your idea."

"But…but.."

"But nothing," Rose placed her hand on my shoulder. "Honey, we need you. You and Esme are the most grounded. You can tell us if it's too much or needs something, because you still remember being human. That's an asset we can't give up." I just smiled, and she practically squashed me in a cylinder.

The doorbell rang, and my parents and their spouses were talking up the stairs. First, of course, was Renee and Sue, and Alice screamed, "WE HAVE AWESOME NEWS!" Like magnets, Renee and Sue were pulled to Alice and Rose, and they began explaining. Phil and Charlie still were outside talking about baseball.

Renee entered the door, "Phil! Come in! Come in!" That left Dad and me outside.

"Hey, Bells."

"Hi, Dad." We hugged.

He walked me to the side of the house. "So, what happened to the trees?" The damaged trees were stacked next to each other, but the stumps told the story.

"Emmett was teasing one of the Denalis, Kate, and she zapped him through three trees."

"Did he deserve it?"

"Oh, yeah."

"Okay, good." He started walking to the entrance of the house, where Sam's parents were being greeted by Carlisle. Charlie's been pretty flexible after knowing everything. Everything that has considered weird before had now a logical answer, and he didn't freak. Sometimes, I think he wants to be the father he couldn't be when I was a kid. It is amazing how he is with Ness, and I'm glad he can show this side that I never saw, because he was always working.

My mother hugged and kissed me on the cheek. My Mom's outfit wasn't what she would usually wear; it was a simple white sweater with a pink rose blooming in the middle. Alice had gotten to her as well as the rest of us. We were asked—no, told, to wear something casual, but there had to be roses somewhere. Her theme was "blooming," and roses were sprayed throughout the house, especially on the main floor—down to the cake. The chocolate and vanilla cake had white fondant with at least twenty marzipan roses of all shapes and sizes. The largest one was on top of the cake and was the diameter of the layer—about eight inches. Then, she ordered organic roses, so she could sugar rose petals and have them "rain" on the cake—her words, not mine. Carol had a blouse with purple and pink roses and jeans. Even Sam's Dad wore a rose tie.

"You look lovely, Bella."

I know she had to say it, but Alice had picked a nice black shirt with white roses and a long sleeved silk blouse that I actually liked. She had chosen a jumpsuit for her, a rose dress for Esme, and an oversized blue sweater with white roses and jeans for Rosalie. All the attention should be with the girls- not us.

"Thanks, Mom."

"So, you've seen the girls…"

"Nope."

Renee seemed amazed. "She has a special talent, doesn't she?"

I knew it was clairvoyance that she was talking about, so I went along, "She can be…tenacious at times and stubborn as a mule at others." Renee laughed. How could I question someone who had personal knowledge about fashion from the beginning of the twentieth century and into the twentieth-first century? That's like asking Babe Ruth if he knew anything about hitting home runs.

Just like homecoming and prom, the parents were gathered to see the girls in their dresses and take pictures for not the girls—for them. At times, this seemed way over the top, but after everything Ness and Sam have dealt with, it seemed appropriate. Sam's parents especially wanted to talk to Rose and thank her for what she did for Sam. At first, she was nonchalant about everything, but as they talked, Rose's face turned. Her impact on this family had been great, and besides me and Renesmee, Rose took everything with a grain of salt. Now, she realized she can still do good for mankind even if she was immortal.

Alice had zoomed upstairs when the parents weren't looking, and I knew the time was here. The elevator's bell echoes around the house, so everyone knows when it's being used. She stepped into view, "Ladies and Gentlemen, it is Rose's and my honor to introduce our special ladies to you. Right in front of your eyes, your daughters have bloomed from childhood to young adulthood. First, from Virginia, Miss Samantha."

Walking erect and pacing each step, she entered the room. She sparkled from top to bottom with deep purple taffeta. The A frame dress was sleeveless with a square neck. Around her neck was a studded diamond and amethyst necklace. Thank God, Alice put the girl in flats and not three inch wedges. Rose twirled her hair and designed it, so it looked like an actual rose with brunette springs. Both were talented in the fashion thing, while I still have left feet. Her parents screamed and hugged her, and that moment, she didn't know what a wheel chair was. She didn't care what happened three months ago. That moment, she appeared to be whole again.

"Now, celebrating her sweet sixteen birthday, Miss Renesmee Cullen." Just like Sam, she stepped into the main room and dazzled us. The dress was forest green almost the same exact color I wore when it was my birthday, and well, Jasper tried to kill me. (We don't talk any more about that.)It was tied with a bow in the back of her neck and tapered to the floor. Ness didn't look like she was going to a sweet sixteen party—she looked as she was going to the Oscars-you know, flashes, interviews, what are you wearing. Around her neck was an emerald and diamond necklace. They both had the same designed necklace, but the stones matched their dresses.

Renee and Sue cried—and Charlie rolled his eyes. Ah, family…


	31. Party Manners

An explosion of flashes and laughs, a frenzy of people whizzing pass, and the massive pile of birthday presents overwhelmed the main level. My God, it was like she was just born. Maybe this is the way my parents are getting even with me, because they weren't there when Renesmee was born. Quileutes, vampires, and humans, oh, my.

By 7:30, everyone had arrived who was invited, except Jacob and Seth. Jake had a late class with an exam, so they would be here as soon as they could. I didn't worry; Jacob wouldn't miss this for the world. Since the confrontation with the Volturi, the pack and the Cullen guys were best buddies—even Paul and Emmett who occasionally got into a tussle before were messing with each other. Miracles do happen. Speaking of Emmett, the pack had heard what Kate had done to him and received a standing ovation. Kate was modest, of course, but a pack of shape-shifter werewolves giving any applause to a vampire was a feat itself.

The Denalis had blended in with the rest of us, the Quileute, and the humans at the party. Tanya and Carmen helped in the kitchen, while Eleazar, Carlisle, Phil, Billy, and Dad were having their conversation on the porch. Kate's responsibility was strictly Garrett; she held this hand for most of the night. I guess she and Edward concocted a plan where if Edward read Garrett's mind and it included killing and sucking every human in the room to zap him. It was already happening—every time he gets zapped, he jumps up, flips off Edward, Edward smiles, kisses Kate, and it continued for the rest of the night.

Alice wanted to stall until Jacob and Seth arrived before the cake and the presents. No one was in a hurry, and many of us knew how important Jacob was to Nessie, especially Alice. She and Esme have always been the best hostesses I've ever met and practically make me and Rose obsolete, so we had decided to be on Nessie and Sam watch.

I was so proud of Nessie. This was her party, but acted as if it was Sam's also. I know she didn't do this consciously; it is solid proof Renesmee has matured over the past year, whether she liked it or not. Most of the night, Samantha sat in her chair and talked to different people. Standing wears her out, and she wanted to stay at the party. The pack was sweet to her, and many of them flirted with her, because she is a very pretty girl and gave her plenty of attention. I know this was a huge confidence boost for her.

From a distance, I heard a car approaching. It sounded like Jacob's beetle, and Edward recognized this, too. He guarded the stairs to await for Renesmee. She really tried to pay attention to the conversation that was going on, but she couldn't concentrate. She excused herself from the group and scooted to the stairway where I was next to Edward at this time.

Edward's arms were crossed. "Where do you think you're going?"

"To see Jacob and Seth, of course."

We walked her away from the stairway and to an empty couch. "Can you give them a breather?"

"Why, Dad?"

"Jacob will want to spend the rest of the time with you, but he has to see everyone else first. Jake has to see his father, the pack, the guys, and he probably will want to talk to your Mom." Nessie rolled her eyes. "Renesmee," Edward's voice was stern, "Mom and Jake are best friends. I know you know that—even I cannot deny that."

I hugged Ness. "A big part of a grown-up relationship is space, honey. If you lunged for him now, you would have suffocated him, and he would be obligated to spend all of his time with you. He is one of the leaders of the pack. Sam and he have responsibilities to the Quileute tribe, and you have to accept that if you want this relationship to work." Jacob had entered the house and went straight to his Dad. "You don't have to worry about him not seeing you. You're the reason he's here."

"Where's Seth?"

Edward's neck did a 180 around. "He may be getting something or changing clothes. I know he'll be here, but look…" We noticed Jake shaking Charlie's hand and kissing Sue's cheek, and we heard Seth had to go home and clean up, because he did a pick-up game while Jake was taking the test. "You have given him a gift—time for him to do what he needs to do, and it will be rewarded ten-fold." Edward kissed her braided hair. "I know this is hard, but in my day, young ladies would wait until the young man approached her. Yes, I know it's an ancient concept, but sometimes, you just need to step back and wait. You will notice that things will come into place."

How could Renesmee argue that? She nodded and returned to Samantha and Rose who were talking to Sam's mother.

"Nice job, Dad."

"I was making it up as I went along."

"AND?"


	32. Promise

I hate when Dad's right. I am not giving him the satisfaction of telling him. Jacob will get to me sooner or later or if I did run to him, my psycho stalker personality would come out—not a good idea.

I re-planted myself on the couch where Samantha was talking to Rosalie and her mother. Samantha tapped shoulders, "You, okay?"

"Yeah."

"Then why do you have that pathetic look on your face?"

"Mom and Dad stopped me before I made a total fool of myself."

"That's good, right?"

"Not when there's a lecture attached to it."

She returned my grimace. "I hate when parents do that."

I just nodded. "Yep."

The anticipation grew inside of me. I was on edge watching Jacob move from person to person. He, of course, hung out with Mom and joked with her. I wondered what would have happened if Mom had married Jacob instead of my Dad. He was so crushed when she chose Dad, and then, when she was pregnant with me, it just made it worse.

The imprint practically saved his life, because he felt no one compared to her. Now he has me. I've never asked him about the comparisons or differences between Mom and me. Maybe it's out of fear—fearing he would have chosen my Mom over me. Deep inside, it is still my biggest fear.

Samantha's mother had excused herself as Jacob reached us. "Hello, Ladies."

Let me start. "Jake, this is Samantha."

He shook her hand. "Pleasure to meet you. Hey, Rose."

"The spawn of Satan has returned."

"You're so sweet." He smooched her cheek with a sloppy kiss that she wiped with a frown.

"You're getting sloppy. Do you need your dish?" Rosalie had scratched one of the silver bowls into a "Fido" dish many years ago.

"Nah, I know how to use a fork."

"Shocker." She peered at him. "Maybe Emmett can hose you off after you finish the shish-kabobs." I didn't even notice, but Jacob had a smear on his cheek.

Rose handed him a napkin. "Thanks, sweetheart." He wiped and handed it right back to her. "You can keep this as a memento."

Rose stalked off, and it was the three of us. Samantha's face was unreadable; I didn't know if she knew they were messing with each other. Rose and Jake actually like each other as friends, but it's more like siblings than friends.

Jacob knelt down to our eye level; his height can give you a neck ache at times. "Samantha, we jab each other all the time. Rosie loves it."

From the other side of the hallway, she commented, "I DO NOT."

"Anyway, I hope you've had a good time here with the Cullens."

"Terrific. I don't want to leave. Ness has been wonderful. Rosalie has been great, too, so I will side with her on most things."

"Miss Rosalie got to you first. Damn."

Alice greeted Jacob with a huge hug. "How are you? It's been forever."

"Good." Then he looked at me. "Real good."

"Well, I hate to interrupt your trio, but I wanted to introduce Samantha to some new people. That's if you'd like, Sam."

"Sure." Sam slid into her chair and moved to Grandpa and Sue.

Jake still squatted next to me. "Happy birthday." He kissed me on the cheek. This is normal between us. "I'm sorry I didn't right to you I…"

"That's okay. You needed to talk to your family. I'm not going to keep you all night."

"You've grown up, so fast."

I stared at the ground. "Not the way I wanted to though."

He cupped my chin. "It doesn't matter as long as you get there. You want to walk to the balcony."

I couldn't talk; I just nodded. Was this the moment? Should I just grab and kiss him? Will he? Will it be soft or hard? How long do you kiss? Who breaks the contact? How do you know he wants to kiss you again? When does the tongue get involved? Where does that go? My head was spinning, and by the time I caught my breath, we were at the balcony.

Jake leaned against the railing. "You picked the right night to be born, Ness. I remember that night like it was yesterday. It was the worst night-" He glanced at me, "and the best night of my life so far."

I could feel my body shake. I couldn't control it. My fears had finally boiled over, and I had to ask him, "Jake, dddo….did you…still…love Mom?"

He turned to look at me and then smiled. "Honey, I will always love Bella, but as a sister not a lover." He walked toward me with a concerned look. "Does that bother you?"

"No. I.."

"I what?

"I mean…I didn't know if you were given a choice between Mom and me…that…"

Within seconds, I was in his arms, and he cradled me. We touched foreheads. "I have waited for you all my life. I couldn't want anyone else, because you're perfect for me." He gradually came closer to my lips and grazed them lightly. I kissed him before he left my lips. They were soft and puffy. I could taste him, and I needed him to kiss me. He returned the kiss and I felt his arms and hands feel me, and it felt right. There was no awkwardness, and I started to explore him. I found places—like his neck—that he took a deeper breath in, and I found it fascinating. Unfortunately, the full exploration would not happen tonight.

"You kiss like a pro, Missy."

I grinned. "Really?"

"So much I have to kiss you again." He kissed my lips, my eyes, and my cheek, and he gradually drifted to my neck and throat. A pulse ran through me, and I felt desire for the first time. He finally broke contact, and he was panting; he felt it, too. "We better go back inside before they miss you. After all, you're the reason they're here." He adjusted me, while I adjusted him, so it didn't look so obvious we were making out and not give Dad a reason to throttle him right here and now.

The moment we walked in, Alice approached us. "We're going to cut the cake in a few minutes. Seth called and said he'd be here soon." Jake nodded and walked to Leah and her fiancé. Alice pulled me aside. "So?"

"So what?"

"You and Jake, how did it go?"

I chuckled. "You knew. You knew when you pulled Samantha away. Dad would have killed you, if he knew."

"I didn't think about while he was around. Just because I have a vision doesn't it mean I share it to the whole world—even your mind-reading father. There are certain surprises I won't reveal. You, your Mom..anyone."

Something in her voice told me that there were more surprises yet to come.

…..

Returning back to Earth took several minutes to land. All I saw was rainbows and butterflies; there was nothing wrong in the world. What an evil drug love can be.

After I shooed Alice, Samantha had yanked me next to the entertainment center. "How did the mission go?" Samantha's Dad was retired from the Marines as a helicopter pilot. He had fought in the first Iraq War, and she said her Dad had stories that would make your toes curl. Her Dad's words focused around the Marine lingo whether he was in the service or not. It just rubbed off Samantha.

I smiled. "Mission accomplished." Mom pulled me away from the corner and told Sam, "I'll tell you later."

Mom was instantly acute. "Tell what, Renesmee?"

She knew. She absolutely knew. Her face had this cocky grin. "Mom..it's.."

"Save it." Mom saw Dad get into view. "You might not want to replay any of what just happened in front of your father. He knew this was going to happen, but he doesn't want to know when and how."

She was right. Dad didn't want the play-by-play at all. In fact, I think he'd rather forget the imprinting altogether. For my Mom, she was cool about the whole thing.

I wanted Sam to be next to me when the cake came, but I could tell she was having a bout of pain and dealing with it. Her eyes were tightly shut, her hands gripped the chair, and her chest was taking one breath at a time. I felt awful I couldn't do anything to help her. We made eye contact, and she raised her hand telling me everything was okay. She needed some space and sat in view of the table where the cake would be. Taking an injection would alarm her parents and probably end the night for her. Her courage was beyond human capacity.

Jacob knew something was wrong, and he grasped my hand. Were we official now? Were we able to show affection for each other in front of others, especially my Dad? This wasn't a romantic hand hold; he was giving me support.

The lights were dimmed, and Alice and Esme pushed this gigantic cake from the kitchen: four layers of rose-covered flowers with four lit candles on each layer. Alice made sure both my real age and my appeared age were represented. She placed it on a lazy Susan, so it could spin as I blew the candles out.

They started to sing, including Jake. Let me tell you that Jake is not a singer, but I'm not telling anyone that—sweet but tone-deaf. From the corner of my eye, I noticed movement and sound by the stairs; it must be Seth. The song ended, the loud applause, and I was ready to blow out the candles.

As the candles were blown, everything had gone into slow motion, because Seth had made eye contact with Samantha. Her eyes widened and her mouth formed an enormous smile. She lifted out of her chair without any trouble, and the previous pain she had minutes ago had dissipated. Both of them walked toward each other with confidence in each step. The last candle was blown, and their hands touched. Seth had imprinted on Samantha.

The claps continued, but I was more shocked to respond, and Jake witnessed everything. I started slicing pieces of cake and passing them, and Jacob whispered, "I guess wolf's out of the bag."

I giggled and leaned onto him. I grinned at him, "Guess we don't have to keep the secret after all. "


	33. Epilogue

I wondered why Alice and Rose were taking so much care in Renesmee and Samantha, especially Samantha. Alice did see something, and it was big—really big. Samantha had to be for Seth in order to imprint on her. Unfortunately for both girls, they had gone the long way to this juncture.

Edward was thrilled. His best friend had imprinted on a girl who he was very fond of, actually we all were. Besides, his daughter would have a friend to talk to whenever she needed, and through this whole ordeal, that's what Renesmee needed: a good friend.

Samantha wasn't freaked out at all—to anything. Her reaction was "that makes a lot of sense now." She knew something was up, and she completely understood why Nessie only told half of the story. We prepared her for Seth's transformation; however, when he phased, she scratched behind his eyes and called him, "her little puppy". For Seth, it was a term of affection not derogatory at any kind.

With the imprinting, Samantha ended up having an elaborate conversation with her parents. She was happy here, and she didn't want to return to Carolina at all. It was a place of peace and happiness, and she intended to go to WU next fall when Seth and Jacob returned to school. It's hard to say what my parents would have done, but under the circumstances, my parents would have done the same thing—agree wholeheartedly.

She knew she couldn't tell her parents the secret, and it should be fine as long as we followed the same behavior around them. Her parents did throw a curve, though. They wanted to move here too. It wasn't the apron strings that people might think, but they, too, felt how strong our families are and wanted to be in that environment. In fact, Charlie had offered them to buy our house; it was vacant since he and Sue married. Her parents were thrilled to know they were moving where they were already welcome; however, it will take more elaborate planning when they arrive here permanently.

Carlisle found Samantha's recovery fascinating; he wanted to document everything. He wasn't sure if it was a mental, physical, or psychological that changed a wheelchair-bound woman into a fully-functional young adult. He kept meticulous notes and asked a lot of questions to Billy and Sue. This became his new interest—how the Quileute imprint worked miracles.

Many of us think it was a different theory. Given—the imprint might have changed her physically and mentally, but I think with Samantha, it was psychological. She didn't feel broken with Seth. Her depression evaporated, because he and Renesmee were here. Rose was here to help her deal with what she went through. It was a combination of everything, and she felt whole again.

Edward does have to worry now that Seth imprinted on Sam; he knows Renesmee and Samantha will want to get married around the same time. He knew Nessie's and Jacob's relationship had changed—from Jake's thoughts and how they related with each other. They were a couple. This experience with him, me, and Jake has changed Edward's thinking. Now he wasn't appalled at the thought of Jake marrying Ness. He didn't realize how much he felt like Charlie when we announced our engagement, and this has made Charlie's and Edward's relationship tighter.

One afternoon, Nessie had brought a white cardboard box and handed it to Edward and me.

"What is it?" I pulled the red bow and opened the box. Inside there was a crystal vase filled with layers of white sand and the blue rocks she had collected last year. Both of us smiled at the gesture.

"I wanted to let you know…I won't be needed these anymore, but I couldn't be who I am without them." She kissed her father on the cheek and then me.

I guess I love imprinting after all.


End file.
